At An Academy of Death, Life Sure is Hectic
by sarcasticeggplant
Summary: Soul Eater AU. Maka Albarn and Soul Evans are both transfer students to the DWMA, one of the most expensive and elite private High Schools in the western United States. Both come into the school with very specific intentions and goals, but how will life redirect their path through new friendships and lessons? (¡Spoiler! eventual SoMa/TsuStar/MCronaxKid/JackiexKim)
1. Chapter 1: Sweaty Thighs and Soy Lattes

Hello, everyone...  
I've been reading some books and fics over this summer and decided to write a little Soul Eater AU. I just thought it would be a kinda cool challenge of some sort to try and keep this story up for a year or so as I've written fics in the past but never finished them... Thanks for checking this out!

Chapter One:

(Maka)

August was definitely the hottest month of the year.  
Angry dark clouds were strewn across the sky as an aftermath of another daily thunderstorm. The air was thick with moisture, and dew ran down in clean streaks across the windows of the dented old Metra train.

Maka rested her head against the cool glass of the train window and watched as the dark green blur of soaked pine trees and forest flew by.  
" _August,"_ she groaned to herself. " _Restlessness, humidity, and sweaty thighs_." She squeezed her eyes shut as her head ached from the suffocating heat and the endless chatter of the passengers. " _This boarding school better be worth all the work and effort I put into getting accepted,"_ Maka thought silently to herself.

A strong desire to succeed was rooted deep within her, planted inside of her involuntarily by her mother who also grew up with a strong need to succeed.  
 _Her mother who had spent her young life studying and striving for perfect grades.  
_ _Her mother who had landed herself her dream job as a reward for all that hard work.  
_ _Her mother who accidentally cracked one day and had a daughter she didn't need nor want._

 ** _*Choo-choo!* " We have arrived in Death City! "_**

Maka snapped back to reality as the other passengers stood and shuffled to grab their bags.  
She stood quickly and swung on her pale orange knapsack and grabbed her pastel pink, sticker-decorated luggage and made her way out off the bus, slightly peed off at the the other people rushing in and off the bus, but that may be just due to her headache.  
She stepped off the train and to her surprise, and to her headaches discontent, blinding sunshine rays poured out of the sky.

Shielding half her face with her hand, Maka made her way past the train ticket kiosk and over to a deep blue bench mounted in the cement under a tall, skinny street tree in front of a Starbucks.  
" _Please don't let this boarding school turn out to be a total bust,"_ Maka thought to as she placed her backpack on the painted metal of the bench and dug around for her container of Tylenol acetaminophen tablets.

A trio of girls with smooth long hair in distressed jean shorts and trademarked Hollister shirts stepped out of Starbucks giggling and chittering uncontrollably as each held a custom ordered beverage; made with soy instead of real milk, of course.  
Maka eyed them, swearing one had laughed at her, as she popped open the Tylenol bottle. Sour memories of her first year in her city's "highly-esteemed" private all-girl's high school bubbled inside of her...  
 _Girls with stuck-up lips coated in the hottest new shade of gloss sashaying down the halls, endless chatter of meaningless gossip during class, forgetting to bring an extra pair of socks to gym class, pep club during spirit week…_

"Sky looks pretty cool right now, don't you think?" a voice said as Maka whipped her head around to see a dark-skinned boy of about her age next to her, a polaroid dangling from his neck as he looked up the sky, sun reflecting off the lenses of his glasses.

Hesitating with her pain medicine still in hand, Maka looked up and saw what he meant.  
A quarter of the sky was filled with dark clouds still passing over from the recent storm, whereas the other half was pure sunshine dotted with fluffy, white clouds.

 ** _*Snap!*_**

Maka looked down and watched as the boy waved his freshly taken photo in the air to develop the actual picture.

"You're new to this city aren't you?" he questioned with a slight smile. "Staying with some family for a while?" he said, gesturing to her luggage.

"No," Maka said, fiddling awkwardly with the pills in her hand, slightly embarrassed by all the tacky, kiddy stickers of cartoon skulls and anime characters stuck all over her suitcase. "The boarding school just north of here...," she began, meeting the boy's eyes and allowing a small, tight smile.

A slightly astonished look appeared on his face as he grabbed a pen out of the back pocket and began scribbling on the back of his Polaroid photo.  
"Huh, a DWMA student…," he said, seeming lost in thought. "Freshman?" he asked, handing her the photo with the backside facing up.

"No, I'm transferring here for my sophomore year, and, uh, I'll hopefully like it enough to stay the next two," she said, questionably accepting the photograph.

"Well," the boy said, "I won't give the DWMA a bad rep since you seem pretty happy about starting school there," he said with a grin.

"But hey, you're probably going to be hanging around this city a lot so I've gone and given you my number on the back of the photo; ring me up whenever," he winked. "Good luck!" he called out before suddenly disappearing into the crowd of people wandering the streets.

Maka scoffed but with a slight smile on her face. She didn't come here to hang out in the city with some random boy she just met, but she considered she may be overthinking things. Maybe having someone who knew their way around the city would be helpful, and he seemed nice enough.  
She looked down at the barely legible number scribbled down. _Killik Rung_ was written above. She flipped it over and was surprised to see the picture was not of the sky, but of her; standing beneath the bright green street tree, looking curiously up as sun from the oddly lit sky flowed through the leaves.

(Soul)

August was definitely the coolest month of the year.

The only downside he could think of was the constant storms knocking out the TV cable, but that just dragged him out of his house to actually go outside and socialize with other kids his age; and, honestly, those outings were some of the best moments of his life.  
 _Drinking blue and red (or purple) slushies in the Seven-Eleven parking lot, teasing and whistling at teenage girls who biked past the football field, stealing beer from the fridge and chugging it with his friends under the bleachers at the blissfully empty school, jumping fences as they ran from the cops…_

 ** _*Bing!*_**

"One tall iced latte for, _Saul?_ " a barista called out over the chatter of the people inside the cool, air-conditioned Starbucks.

"Soul," he said he said casually as his eyes drifted from the cafe's window and to the middle-aged female behind the counter. "And, it was a _soy_ latte, but it's cool," he commented.

"Oh, my bad honey, you sure you don't want me to remake for you? Free of charge, of course?" she said sweetly.

"I said it's cool," Soul said bluntly as he picked up his non-soy latte and lazily strolled outside of the Starbucks and into the crowd of people enjoying their Sunday night out in town. He rolled his metallic black suitcase down the sidewalk and adjusted the strap of his guitar case that was slung on his back. He had made his chauffeur drop him off just as they had passed the train tracks, knowing another stern lecture from his elderly grandma in the front seat was coming soon as she constantly shot him deadly glances through the car's mirror.

If the streets of Death City weren't so crowded as of now, Soul would of bought a bus ticket and rode the rest of the way to what was his " _lucky second chance_ ". At least that's what _she_ had called it.  
 _Was it his lucky chance to be able to try and squeeze into the mold his family has put upon him, having hope he could live up to the greatness of his older brother?_ _Or, was it his family's lucky chance to be able to get rid off him, extremely grateful the school accepted him. Being able to send him off for his angsty teen years so he could no longer embarrass the family?  
_ _Did his family give up hope on him?_

He sipped his non-soy latte and strolled down the sidewalk as the once sweet memories of his near-perfect summer made his stomach churn.  
Glancing up, he saw the "country's most elite (and expensive)" boarding school about half a dozen blocks ahead of him. It was perched on top of a high hill with stone steps that seemingly shined in the sun leading up to school's courtyard. Soul considered himself a tough guy, but the creepy gothic architecture and tall stature of the school gave sent a sudden chill running down his frowned as a sour feeling bubbled inside of him.

There and then, looking at his new " _unfortunate second prison_ ", Soul decided something.  
 _If what would make his family actually accept him was for him to grow up as a proper clone of his older brother, then they could just get used to the thought of him never being around._

The only similarity besides appearance between Soul and his brother was their passion for music, even then Wes greatly outshone Soul.  
There was Wes, using his talent for fame and fortune, reveling in the attention and honor given to him by the Evan's , however, kept his music talent to himself. Maybe due to the fact that Soul knew that no matter how much passion he poured into his music, (oh, and did he care for his music) his music would never been seen as his individual expression of himself, but merely a comparison to his brother and his exquisite skill.  
Soul kept to himself. Wes was a people's person.  
The other Evan's family members admired Wes much more than his rebellious little brother… _"_ _Oh, Wes, do you not have a younger brother? What was that boy's name? Saul?"_

Soul froze in his tracks, oblivious to how far he had been walking due to being in such a heated state, remembering his family and all. In front of him stood a metal plate bolted into the side of a high brick fence with the letter's _"_ _D,W,M, and A_ " shaped into a graceful cursive placed in the center of the sign. Nearby stood a wrought iron gate, and walking up to it he saw behind was the stairway of stone steps, appearing to be a much longer way up than it had seemed to be from father off.

 _"_ _Welcome to hell,"_ Soul thought grimly as he pushed open the wrought iron gate after tossing his empty cup of non-soy latte in a nearby trash can.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking (and lugging this suitcase up these damn stairs in this damn heat), Soul found himself standing in the neat and surprisingly bland courtyard of the DWMA.  
Standing symmetrically on each side were two buildings sharing a similar gothic architecture. " _The dorms_ ", Soul had guessed.  
He looked up at the building, feeling a bit intimidated. The building's height and odd architecture caused odd shadows to be cast all over courtyard, yet rays of sun still found it's way to pour through.

Looking more closely, Soul was surprised at a sudden feeling of excitement. _"_ _This place does look kinda cool," he_ thought to himself.

"Excuse me," a girl with long black hair called out as she stepped through the large, mahogany doors of the school. She dashed out before Soul could respond, a clipboard in hand. She was obviously a student as she donned the uniform. "You're here for orientation, aren't you?" she nodded to herself. "Oh, you're just so lucky Ms. Marie had me wait in front just in case anyone was running late," she said in a small voice, flipping through pages on the clipboard. "You must be Soul; Soul Evans, am I correct?" she smiled, meeting his eyes.

He nodded.

"Nice to meet you Soul Evans," she giggled, outstretching her hand. "I'm Tsubaki, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, and I'm a returning sophomore here at the DWMA, I hope you find your time here to be most enjoyable..."

 _To be continued..._

Well, there it is...haha. Sorry for any grammar errors, I'm kind of rushing to put this up. In a few days I'm going back to school! Ah, I feel so old...  
Well, I'm going to go down some Chinese food and head to bed, it's almost 2 AM... Thanks again for reading :p


	2. Chapter 2: Biology and Hair Dye

Edit: Hey guys... Decided to combine chapter 2 and 3 since they were so much shorter than my other chapters... changed a few other things, but nothing major

Hey guys, new chapter!  
I'm writing this after class outside my school by our gym...I should be working on my English thesis paper but oops! I don't want to, haha :p

Chapter 2:

(Maka)

Maka walked aimlessly down the long, dark hallways of Shibusen's girl dorm, pondering the schedule she had received during orientation,

" _...3rd period Honors Algebra II...4th period Global Studies…"_ she thought, trying to piece together an organized study schedule for herself inside her mind, thinking about the study areas and tutoring sessions they had explained to her earlier in the day during orientation.

In fact, the whole orientation ordeal itself had been primarily uneventful to Maka since her pounding headache dulled out most of it.

The event itself was delayed for a good 20 minutes because some kid had been running late, and _of course_ that plunged the school's headmaster to begin his speech with a never-ending dialogue of how " _punctuality equals perfection"_ as if the new students were all kindergarteners.

Maka could just imagine what the headmaster's son would be like…

 _If_ the headmaster even had a son.

"Damn," Maka scowled, realizing she had gotten herself lost through the labyrinth of hallways as she had given all her attention to the printed schedule she had recently crumpled under frustration.

All she could remember was that she was assigned to share room "26" on the sophomore floor, which happened to be the dorm's top floor according to a map printed on a small handout she had received.

"If I didn't have this damn headache, I wouldn't of had such a hard time focusing this morning and could have remember the directions through this maze," Maka growled to herself.

 _If only she hadn't snuck off from her group to search for the school's most esteemed library..._

Glancing down the hall, Maka noticed a large, wooden door halfway open.

Curiously, she walked down the corridor lined with large, windows showing nothing but the clear, midnight blue sky that showed no evidence of the day's recent thunderstorm. The miniature chandeliers hanging from the ceiling left pale shapes of yellow light spread on the deep red carpet and coffee brown walls.

Pushing the door open which released an eerie creak, Maka stepped into a dark stairwell with deep, mahogany stairs leading up to the next floor.

" _No wonder, I must've been on the wrong floor this whole time,_ " Maka thought with a sudden feeling of irritation and relief. She took out her phone and turned on the flashlight as she made her way up the staircase.

Reaching the top, Maka peered down the halls which would've been pitch black if it weren't for the pale light peering in through cracks of boarded up windows.

" _An attic_ ," Maka thought confused, flipping back to the map in her handout as the feeling of frustration bubbled up strongly inside of her.

" _...Hey Jude...Don't make it bad…"_

Maka turned her head to the left and listened as the song flowed down the hallway as gently as the moonlight streamed through the boarded windows.

" _...Take a sad song...and made it better…"_

Surprised to see herself calming down a bit, she spun on her heel and patted her way down the stairs, deciding that finding her room and getting a good nights sleep were much more important that snooping around some moldy old attic.

" _...Remember to let her into your heart...Then you can start to make it better…"_

(Soul)

"Hey, anyone in there?" Soul yelled with a slight streak of irritation, knocking on the door and feeling too lazy to grab the dorm key he had thrown somewhere inside his luggage.

"Sorry, sorry!" a voice called nervously from inside as a *click!* sounded on the other side of the wall.

The door swung open to a boy with wet hair stained the same shade of aqua blue as his hands, wearing baggy jeans and an orange tank top.

"Sorry about that, I was in the bathroom," he muttered as he stepped aside to make room for Soul to enter.

"Dying your hair?" Soul assumed as he stepped into the small room that smelled faintly of hair dye and Doritos.  
Anime posters covered half of the room's wall and an old stereo set against one wall with CD's covered in foreign writing sat sprawled on the adjacent floor.

The boy nodded and grinned. He motioned to a loft bed covered in a blue comforted speckled in stars.  
"That's my bed over there by the window, but if you really want the loft bed, that's cool."

"Nah, I don't mind," Soul said, swinging his luggage on the metal-framed bed that was pushed against the same wall as the doorway. He plopped down and zipped opened his luggage.  
A large bay window sat on the opposite wall on which sat the other boy's bed.

"I'm Soul, by the way," he said, glancing up and flashing his renowned side-smirk.

"Black-Star," the boy said as his cheeks turned pink. "It's just a nickname; everyone calls me by it."

"Well, Black-Star," Soul chuckled, noticing the silver glint of the dorm keys that sat half-covered by a balled up black t-shirt inside his luggage,  
"I hope we can become good friends."

(Maka)

Laying sprawled out on her pale pink blanket, Maka stared up at the ceiling of the room she was to call home for her time at Shibusen.

Her room consisted of two trundle beds with a small, faded blue nightstand sitting between them with an old-fashioned lamp placed atop.  
Two desks, two closets, and two doors; one of the doors leading to the rather roomy bathroom. A large bay window sat opposite of the beds with a dark fuchsia curtain drawn over most of it.

Maka's roommate had k-pop band posters hung above the desk that held a small bamboo plant and a stack of Japanese manga.  
The whole side contained the obvious presence of a young, teenage girl; however, Maka's side merely contained her favorite blanket, a stack of books, and her worn MacBook Pro, which was also stamped in half-torn stickers, sitting on her desk.

*click!*

Maka sat up as a tall, svelte girl with a long, black braid stepped in holding a piping mug.  
She wore pastel pink pajama pants and a gray, Hello Kitty printed t-shirt.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're not asleep," the girl said.

"Oh, yeah," Maka said, suddenly uncomfortable, "just getting a feel of the room, I guess."

"I'm Tsubaki, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. You must be Maka Albarn," she said.

"Yeah, um, it's nice to meet you," Maka said as Tsubaki sat herself crossed legged on the opposite bed, taking a sip of her tea.

"So, Maka," Tsubaki began with a sweet smile.

"Uh, sorry, but I think I'm just gonna shower and head to bed. I've got a bit of a headache." Maka said as she swung herself off her bed and grabbed her pajamas from her closet.

"Oh, well, I can make you some tea if you'd like!" she chirped.

"I'm good, but thanks," Maka said quickly, forcing a smile before locking herself in the bathroom and turning on the shower.

She tore off her yellow sweatshirt and began undoing her pigtails as mist began to fog up the edges of the mirror.

"Was I rude?" Maka wondered, eyeing her reflection, feeling a twinge of regret.  
She had wanted to get a point across that she was content with being roommates, but did not want to establish a girl-girl relationship which included staying up until dawn, painting nails and giggling about the school's boy toys.

Maka stepped into the shower and pooled a handful of green apple shampoo and began scrubbing her scalp as suds ran down her cheeks, praying the school library wasn't too crowded of a place as she decided she'd be studying there a lot more than her shared dorm room.

(Soul)

"You like basketball?" Black-Star asked, lounging in his desk chair, typing away at his desk.

"Never really played," Soul said, sprawled out on his bed in his boxers, counting the paint chips on the ceiling.  
"Does this school even have any sports team?"

"Nope, the Headmaster has us more focused on academic rallies and stuff; there's a chess team, though." Black-star said.  
" _But,_ there's a beat-up patch of concrete near the edge of the school lot, near that woodsy area? Someone made a makeshift hoop there and we usually hang out there for fun."

"No one minds that?" Soul asked sitting up and cracking his back.

"They probably would, in fact," Black-Star laughed. "We usually sneak out after curfew."

"And no one notices?" Soul questioned, assuming things were over-top strict here.

"The doors that lead to the fire escape are supposed to set off alarms if they're opened, but they stopped working a year or two ago and the school still hasn't gotten around to fixing them" Black-Star said, swinging around in his chair.  
"Besides, who would stay up at 3 AM patrolling some patch of forest area?"

"I guess," Soul said, glancing up at the posters covering Black-Star's side of the room.

"Sorry about all the dorky posters," Black-Star laughed awkwardly as he picked at the frayed strings on the bottom of his pajama pants.

"Nah, it's cool," Soul said, his eyes shifting to the largest poster on the wall showing a scene of a blonde hair boy running through an open desert, arms extended behind him.

" _Naruto_ ," Black-Star said distantly, eyeing the poster. "It's my favorite one; wouldn't it cool to be a ninja? Or someone who travels around, fighting bad guys?"

"Yeah, I guess," Soul thought. "I'd probably be getting thrown around by some big breasted witch lady or something else perverted like that," he laughed.

"Yeah, who lives in a pumpkin or something," Black-Star grinned. "Anime can be freaking weird and perverted, but I think they've got deeper meanings."

*meooooooow*

"Damn strays!" Black-Star said, walking over the the window and peering out.

Soul laughed. "Better watch out, the perverted anime witch lady turned into a cat to stalk us."

"Oh shut it," Black-Star said, grinning as he shut the curtains.

*bang* *bang*

"I hear you two, it's 10 PM," a voice called sternly out from the other side of the door, "That mean's light's out!"

"Sorry Professor," Black-Star said, slamming his laptop and jogging over to hit the lights, so the only thing keeping the room alight was a small desk lamp sitting on Soul's nightstand.

"That's Professor Stein," Black-Star whispered, heading to bed, "He usually does a run to check the boys dorm at night."  
"He's kind of screwy, but he's definitely one of them best teachers around."

(Maka)

" _I'm gonna make you bend and break…"_

Maka Albarn's eyes fluttered upon as a bright gleam of sunshine tore through the crack at the center of the window's curtain.

*buzz* *buzz*  
" _Say a prayer but let the good times-"_

" _Didn't I just fall asleep_ ," Maka thought wearily, shutting off the alarm on her phone and wishing for another five minutes asleep.

Maybe if Maka wasn't so gung-ho on getting back on track to her studies, she would've slept another few minutes.

Blaming her sluggishness on summer making her an unproductive slob, she tore off her sweaty covers and padded to the bathroom, knocked, and entered after no response.

The bathroom smelled faintly of roses and a damp, hot pink towel hung on a rack mounted on the shower door, evidence that Tsubaki must be quite an early-bird.

After brushing her teeth and fixing her hair into two even pigtails, Maka Albarn threw on the "oh-so stylish" school uniform.

Promptly after putting on her school's lanyard that displayed her ID, she strapped her black school binder over her shoulder which contained her notebooks, folders, and a school issued Chromebook; Maka was sure not to stick embarrassing OHSHC stickers all over this laptop...

(Soul)

The scent of coffee and sweat filled the Shibusen's cafeteria. Freshmen and Sophomores gathered around the tables as they had the earlier breakfast schedule.

"Aren't the hashbrowns great, Soul?" Black-Star asked, prodding Soul in the shoulder with his fork.

"Fabulous," Soul said before taking a sip of his orange juice,  
"Do you usually eat all alone?" he asked, motioning toward all the empty seats at the table.

"Kind of," Black-Star said, twirling his fork in his food, "I usually eat lunch with my 'geek' club up in the music room, and typically just eat ramen or something in my room for dinner."

Soul took a few more bites of his hash browns. "Do the kids typically get along here?"

"Oh yeah, I didn't want to give you the impression that everyone ignores me or something," Black-Star said, "I guess I'm just kind of shy or whatever."

"A 'ninja' with bright blue hair doesn't normally seem like the shy-type," Soul laughed with a side smile.

"Ha," Black-Star said, taking the last sip of his coffee, "I'm a ninja-wannabe who buys cheap 'Rockability Blue' hair dye with money he makes doing part-time work in the school's library. Sounds pretty lame to me."

"You work part-time here?" Soul asked.

"Mhm," Black-Star began, "a few kids do part time in the library or the cafeteria. No one has been scheduled yet since it's the first week. I could have you signed up with me if you need the cash."

" _If I need the cash,"_ Soul thought.  
Soul who owned the best clothes, shoes, electronics, you name it. All his friends had summer jobs mowing lawns or babysitting, but Soul was handed everything on a silver platter, reliant on the cash of his grandmother. His family _was_ loaded with cash to give to him. Rich enough that his grandmother had promised to send him a monthly check of a few thousand each month.

"Yeah," Soul said finally, stabbing at his hash browns, "Sign me, up."

"Yahoo! No more cleaning out the boys locker room alone!" Black-Star cheered.

"Locker room!?" Soul said, whipping his head towards Black-Star, "You told me you worked in the _library!_ "

 _*ding dong ding*_

" _Hello! This is Headmaster Death! We ask all underclassman to begin heading to class, and good luck to all on their first day here at Shibusen!"_

(Maka)

Sitting front row in class, Maka tried her best to retain her studious attitude despite the fact her thighs were sticking to her chair and the Tylenol from this morning was doing _nothing_ to alleviate her heat-induced headache.

Sitting backwards in his desk chair, the teacher tapped a piece of yellow chalk to the deep green chalkboard behind him where his name was scribbled in messy handwriting.

"Welcome to Advanced Biology; some of you may know me the boy's residence hall director," he said as he got up from his chair.  
"Others," he began, catching the student's eyes, "refer to me as 'that screwy science teacher'.  
He smirked and leaned in one his desks.  
"I assure you those references are true," he said, "and are a vital rolling in me being one of the best biology teachers around."

He stood up straight and once again tapped the board with the chalk. "You are not to refer to me as 'Mister' but as 'Professor.' Professor Stein," he said, catching Maka's eyes.

"You're new here," he said to her.

Maka's face turned a pale shade of red, hoping the girls passed off her pink cheeks as a sign of overheating and not embarrassment.

"I'm Maka," she said bluntly.

Stein adjusted his glasses, causing sun to bounce off the glass of his lenses.  
"My apologies, your face just seems...vaguely familiar. Do you have any other family who've attended class here?"

"No," Maka said, "Not that I know of, at least."

"Well," Stein said, shuffling through a stack of paper on his desk, "Welcome to Shibusen, Maka."

Maka nodded, trying to shake off the feeling of everyone's eyes on her.  
" _No, no,"_ Maka thought, gripping her pencil _, "Just focus on the teacher. C'mon, be ready! At such an elite academy, advanced biology is surely to start with vital information that will build a strong, sturdy foundation for the rest of the curriculum!"_

"Now," Professor Stein said, with his mood suddenly changing to a much more upbeat tone, "We will be starting this class with a project that includes vital information that will build a strong, sturdy foundation for the rest of the curriculum!"

" _Yes!"_ Maka thought, her headache suddenly fading, " _This is what I've been waiting for! Hard work to push my limits, to get me back I'm track! I'm ready! Bring it on you screwy, old man!_

"This project," Professor Stein began dramatically," is...a cell organelle campaign!" he said, making large hand gestures.

Maka dropped her jaw as well as her pencil, allowing it to bounce off her desk and roll to Stein's feet.  
"A cell organelle project!" Maka said loudly, this time not caring of the glances she got from her classmates, "You mean like poster boards, glitter, and cheap mudslinging memes?!"

Stein picked up the pencil she had dropped and pointed the sharpened end at her.  
"That is correct!" he said.  
"Now," he continued, twirling the pencil in his hands, "considering the number of people in the class, everyone will be paired with a partner to work on a specific cell organelle. No cell organelle will be assigned twice!"

He turned back to his desk, scribbled something down with Maka's pencil, and called out, "Alright, partners…" he began, "For the Mitochondria we have…"

" _Unbelievable!"_ Maka thought, furrowing her brows, she had come all the way here to repeat a cell project she had done in 7th grade?! She was seriously going to spend her first week in advanced biology making cell memes!? _Memes!?_

"And lastly, for the Ribosomes, we have Maka Albarn and Jacqueline Dupre!" Professor Stein called out as the other girls already began chattering away about their projects.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" he yelled over the ruckus, "You all have 15 minutes to make arrangements with your partner as this will be an out of class assignment, the rubric and guidelines will be uploaded to our online class folder!"  
"Now scat!" he said with a motion of his arm, causing all the girls to rush up and jog over to their assigned partners.

A girl with long, dark hair and brown eyes walked over to Maka's desk. She wore a small smile and had about half a dozen of charm necklaces hung around her throat which jingled with every step she took.

"Maka, right?" the girl said, slipping into the empty desk next to Maka's, "I'm Jacqueline, but you can just call me Jackie."

"Nice to meet you," Maka said, still in shock with the seemingly juvenile project she had been assigned. Not to mention, Maka _hated_ partner work _._

"So, you want to just meet up in my dorm room after today's class? My roommate is rarely around," she said, flashing a grin. "We can come up with a slogan and uh- some meme ideas?" she giggled.

Maka nodded, the itch to do some real hard work still alive inside her. Maybe Algebra II Honors will be more promising.

Jackie sighed and looked up. "So what kind of music are you into?"

(Soul)

Soul bit into his granola and laughed along with the other members of Black-Stars 'geek club' even though he didn't know what they were talking about half the time.  
The entire group consisted of him, Black-Star, four other curly-haired school band members, and a tall Japanese girl with long black hair and Hello Kitty earrings. She smelled like roses.

"So you play guitar?" one of the boys asked, chewing gluten-free pretzel sticks.

"Yeah, and some piano," Soul said, wanting the subject to change from him to another kind of cheesy anime where teenagers get stuck in a videogame or something.

"Do you think you can play us something quick?" the girl asked in a sweet voice, with her deep violet eyes twinkling. "Pretty please?"

Soul's eyes lingered on the dusty, and obviously unused piano sitting in the center of the room, facing the large glass doors that exit into the hallways.

"No, sorry" Soul said firmly, forcing a small laugh,  
"Maybe next time."

"Whenever you're comfortable," the girl, who Soul learned was named Tsubaki, giggled, "I would love to hear."

"I can play you a mean flute solo if you're up to it?" the scrawny band member offered, pushing up his glasses.

"And, that's where our meetings adjourns," Black-Star laughed, standing up,  
"We should start heading out if we want to get to second period on time anyway."

Soul threw his head back and stretched his arms behind his head. "You guys go ahead, my next class is just down the hall from here, anyway."

"Suite yourself," Black-Star called out as he and the other 'geek' club members left the room, letting the door slam and echo through the empty room.

Eyeing the piano, Soul lazily walked over and sat on the stool.

He traced the keys with his fingers and shut his eyes, chewing the inside of his cheek.  
He _felt_ the music inside of him, as if there was a small demon in his body causing it to flood out in waves through his blood.  
It was his gift, and his alone.

"...He wakes up early today…  
...Throws on a mask that will alter his face…  
...Nobody knows his real name…"

He threw his head back up and caught a flash of blonde hair and green eyes through the glass panels of the door.

"...But now he just uses one he saw on a grave…"

(Maka)

Maka's shoes made a soft clicking sound as they tapped against the smooth marble of the main aisle inside the school's library. The room had thin curtains blocking out the sun's harsher rays, but still allowed pale light to flow through. Air conditioners hummed and brought a peaceful, cool breeze inside the room.

" _Free period,"_ Maka thought with a wave of relief. Biology aside, her classes prevailed to her demanding standard of requiring hard work; however, Maka was ready for it.  
Instead of going to lunch or hanging out with the other kids outside in the school's pavilion, she was going to study.

Maka made her way over to a carpeted area that included work tables and computer stations, she was shocked to realize she was the only person present, but also very glad.

She pulled the binder of her shoulder and set it on the table, checked left and right for signs of any adults, and ripped of her 'enforced' school sweater, allowing her body to breath.

" _Much better,"_ Maka sighed, pushing out the chair.

" _Damn slobs!"_

Maka whipped her head around and scanned down the aisles leading into the shelves and shelves of _very neatly_ assorted books.

" _Can't tell the difference between blue green and sea green…"_

Maka took a few steps down the aisle where the shelves were indicated as "Reference".

" _This one isn't even alphabetically placed! And it's practically a shade of_ _ **violet**_ _!"_

She stood puzzled in the aisle and peered down the rows of book shelves where a boy was standing amidst a pile of books and a cart with stacks and stacks of more.  
Quickly deciding to brush him off and disallowing this boy to interrupt her studies, Maka raised her foot to step away when he suddenly glanced toward her and locked eyes with her.

" _His eyes are yellow!_ " Maka thought shocked, holding quite an uncomfortable stare.

He dropped the book he was holding atop one of the piles and quickly walked closer.  
"You are not wearing your required school sweater!" the boy said pointing at Maka in a rather unpleasant tone.

Despite the almost rude tone, Maka used almost all her strength to not bust out laughing.  
"Uh, yeah," she began, "I was just about to put it back on."

He held her gaze for a few more moments and nodded.  
"Good, you should do some promptly," he said rather rigidly and returned to his pile of books, taking no more notice of her.

Maka spun on her heel and returned to the table, throwing on her sweater and binder, and deciding to sit on the other side of the library.  
 _What is even with this school about being all prompt and punctual anyway?_

(Soul)

The school's pavilion was a pretty lively place after school. It was a large, roof supported by columns which vaguely reminded Soul about something he learned in history about ancient Greece.  
Steel tables sat bolted underneath, crowded with mainly upperclassmen, throwing empty soda cans and wads of balled-up paper.  
Behind was a stretch of grassy field where a few patches of wild flowers grew along the red brick wall that extended across the farthest side where the forest area that encompasses the school begins.

Soul walked through the pavilion finding himself quite comfortable amongst the upperclassmen. Soul was never one to carry about reputation in the sense of being "with the nerds" or "with the jocks". Soul was a cool guy, and he thought what made someone cool was beyond such trivial things.

"Dipshit!" a senior yelled playfully, chucking a half drunk can of Dr. Pepper across the table, missing his target and hitting a group of girls who squealed.  
Soul rolled his eyes accordingly and flashed one of his famous side smiles.  
" _How highly esteemed this private school kids are,"_ he thought.

Soul jogged past the crowded cluster of tables and found himself leaning against the brick wall, watching one of teachers yelling at the upperclassmen for throwing cans of soda and making the tables all sticky.

He heard a soft beat of music and smelled something familiar.  
"Cigarette smoke," he thought.

Glancing over at the teacher who was very distracted in telling teenagers not to throw their soft drinks at each other, Soul hoisted himself up the wall and threw himself over.

A girl with long blonde hair and deep blue eyes sat there with a cigarette in hand, and a pair of earbuds in the other. Her skirt was a deep navy and red plaid. _Junior._

"Who are you?" she said, furrowing her brows.

Soul shrugged, wishing he had a better plan on what to say to this girl. _She was fucking gorgeous_.

The girl stood up and walked right in front of Soul; she had a good three or four inches on him.

She took a whiff of her cigarette and eyed the tie Soul wore. A pale gray color. _Sophomore.  
_ She exhaled and blew the spoke right into his face, crushed it against the brick wall, and flicked it somewhere by the forest.

Swiftly, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the brick wall.  
"Look Sophomore, this is my spot, you understand?" she tightened her grip, "you better not tell anyone about you finding me back here. Do you understand?" she said

A soft tune from the Beatles was playing out of the earbuds she held in one hand. Birds chirped in the woods. She smelled like cigarette smoke and vaguely of mint.

Soul flashed one of his famous side smiles. "Understood."

"Ugh," she said, letting go of his collar. She shoved the earbuds and phone in her pocket. Picked up a small, navy blue knapsack, and disappeared into the woods.

Soul chuckled softly to himself before hoisting himself back on top of the fence. Sitting up there, he noticed a cluster of dark gray storm clouds looming just in front of the school.  
A moist breeze blew through the wind and Soul felt a drip of sweat run down his back.

" _Just dandy,"_ he murmured aloud.

(Maka)

 _ ***boom!***_

Angry thunder roared outside Jackie's window and flashes of lighting could be seen behind her thin, paper curtains.

"Just dandy," Maka murmured to herself, as her headache returned with the thick humidity of the storm.

A small lantern decorated with deep purple beads sat on her desk below a wall which was decorated in an array of band posters and red Christmas lights.

An oscillating floor fan gently hummed through the room and allowed some relief from the overwhelming humidity. Jackie had cranked up her music from her laptop and the sound played through the room.

" _They're gonna clean up your looks…"_

Maka scribbled away in her notebook about the functions of the Mitochondria.  
The slogan "Get in the Zone with Ribosomes," was written in big letters on the top of the page..

Even though a mounted wall clock read 4:24 PM, the sky was black as coal.

" _To make a citizen out of you…"_

"So tomorrow I can ask my art teacher for a spare posterboard and we can start working on that," Jackie said typing away, as well, "Then all we need to is-"

*slam!*

Maka slammed on her keyboard causing the word 'powerhouse' to become 'powerhauee'.

A girl with short pink hair and unbelievably blue eyes now stood in room. She wore her uniform minus the appropriate socks. Hers were a bright violet.

" _Because they sleep with a gun…"_

"Kim," Jackie said standing up, picking at her manicure, "What are you doing back so early?"

" _And keep an eye on you son…"_

The girl, which Maka know knew as Kim, plopped down on what appeared to be her bed and tore off a pair of drawn-on converse.  
"Ah, everyone was starting to piss me off," she said, pulling off her violet socks,  
"Liz threw a damn fit about some sophomore catching her smoking and Kid told her to piss off which of course made everything worse."

" _Cause they got methods of keeping you clean…"_

Kim stood up and padded across the room barefoot and plopped down in her desk chair, pulling a granola bar out of her sweatshirt pocket.

"Besides," she continued, taking a bite, "The dumbass juniors pissed off Ms. Marie about something about Dr. Pepper or whatever," she laughed. "You could hear that bitch all the way into the woods."

Maka picked the frayed edges of the matted lilac carpet on the floor.

" _Teenagers scare the living shit out of me, they could care less, as long as someone'll bleed…"_

"Why don't we just finish the document up tomorrow and I can snag us a spare poster board from my art classroom," Jackie said with a grin.

Maka nodded and forced a smile back, relieved she could finally leave and start do some _real_ homework. She grabbed her laptop, notebook, and copy of Goodnight, Mr. Tom, and forced them all into her binder.

Making her way down the hallway, Maka passed by a few groups of girls scattered about, chattering already about the school's Homecoming dance and who to invite.  
Maka waved them off.

Continuing down the corridor, Maka passed by the large wooden doors that lead up into the moldy old attic.  
A scent of cigarette smoke and the sound of soft rock flowed through the crack in the door as Maka peered out the window opposite to the door.  
She grimly stared out into the deep stormy clouds that didn't seem to be fading anytime soon.

 _To be continued…_

I've completed another chapter...doing this made me remember how much I used to love writing fanfic...  
As always, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review...I really like hearing from you guys and what you think :D

P.S. I don't own Soul Eater of the songs/books/movies used in my fics, I feel like I should mention that.


	3. Chapter 3: Vomit and Lip Gloss

Hey guys, what's up? Had a pretty cool Homecoming season, and it's finally October :P

Chapter 3:

(Maka)

Deep fushia curtains danced in the cool September breeze that was fanning through the thin screen of Maka's open window.

It was Friday evening and a good portion of the faculty and staff were locked away in the school's conference room, making last minute decisions on the school's Homecoming dance that was supposed to take place the next day.

That very Sunday being a day Maka wished she could blast of the calendar entirely.  
Through a long period of dramatic begging and puppy-dog eyes performed by none other than Jackie, Maka had finally given into her constant pleading with the exception she only had to stay for no less than two hours.

Curled up in her soft pink blanket, Maka read away at her new novel, Prisoner of Night and Fog, which she checked out from the library without the sight of any yellowed eyed boys complaining about alphabetical placing.

"What a weirdo," Maka had thought. Regardless, she had somewhat of a growing curiosity on why the boy's face has seen so familiar to her. Maybe a sibling of his attends one of her classes?

Her school notebooks and recently graded papers laid amiss at the head of her bed. Maka had smashed her graded rubric for her "highly-esteemed" cell campaign project in the bin because she had received negative points for spelling "powerhauee" instead of "powerhouse".

That had caused her to go into a small fit of irritation, but despite her wacky biology teacher and the idea of attending a formal Homecoming dance, everything else at this school seemed to be working just fine for Maka Albarn.

(Soul)

"Okay," Black-Star said as music blared from the stereo and the tip-tap of computer keys filled the room, "If you could be any type of weapon, what would it be?"

"What kind of question is that?" Soul asked as he pulled a red hoodie over his head.

"Just asking," Black-Star pondered, tracing the keyboard of his computer. "Probably something sharp, like those teeth of yours…"

"What's that you're always typing at anyway?" Soul asked as he sat on the edge of his bed, lacing up his sneakers. "Some raging gay smut with whips and shit?"

"No!" he shouted as Soul laughed.  
"What about a dagger? Or a sword…" Black-Star wondered.

"You're nuts," Soul teased as he grabbed his battered green school bag and made his way to the door.

"You better not be sneaking off with any chicks tonight," Black-Star called out, "We've got to be up early to clean out the locker rooms tomorrow."

"Oh boy, wouldn't want to miss that," Soul groaned as he slipped out of the room and down the stairs to the foyer of the boys dorm.

The air was crisp and clean outside. The trees a scarlet orange as the evening sunset above rustled in the cool September breeze. Groups of students were scattered around outside doing who-knows-what and fooling around with soda cans and paper scraps.  
It amazed Soul how about half of Shibusen's population were groups or rebellious teenagers, such as himself, who had been shipped here by their wealthy families whereas the other half consisted of dedicated, stuck-up students who had their head rammed way too far up their own studies and asses.  
At least that's how it seemed to Soul.

Soul passed through the large, wooden pavilion situated behind Shibusen containing vacant picnic tables and empty cans of Dr. Pepper.  
He made his way through the tall grass and hoisted himself over the brick fence that bordered the edge of Shibusen's property.

"I see you enjoy taking your sweet time," a girl said as she sat leaned against the fence, blowing a thin stream of cigarette smoke from her strawberry coated lips.

"Liz, I'm starting to enjoy that constant cheery attitude of yours," Soul said with a hint of sarcasm as he flashed one of his award-winning side smirks. He plopped down next to her, swiped her cigarette, and took a long huff.

"Psh," she huffed, checking her manicured nails.  
"Do you wanna slip out tonight? Kim stole a few cheap bottles of liquor from the corner store," Liz said as she lolled her head to the side, allowing only a few inches between their smelled like nicotine and the woods with a hint of men's cologne. A large purple bruised peeked through the collar of her blue letterman jacket.  
"I can get Kid to cover for us."

Soul shook his head and handed her back her cigarette as he grabbed his backpack and pulled out a small iPod nano. "I've got to get up and do janitor duty tomorrow with Black-star, a hangover won't help the fact that i have to get up at sunrise."  
"You're not hanging out with Kid tonight?"

Liz scoffed."No, he thought now was a fucking marvelous time to organize that damn library."  
She took a puff of her cigarette. "And can't you just tell that little freak you're sick or something, and why doesn't this rich-ass school have enough cash to hire a janitor or few?"

"He ain't a freak," Soul said, flipping through songs, "And they just hired that new janitor for the boy's dorm room this week."

Liz took a puff of her cigarette and smirked. "By janitor do you mean the drunk with nasty, shaggy red hair? How prestigious," she mocked.  
"And, all those kids are fucking weirdos. Who the hell calls themselves Black-Star and walks around with spiked blue hair?"

"Ah he's just different, I don't know," Soul remarked, "Doesn't matter anyway, I'm stuck with him; he's my roommate, remember?

"I can get Kid to change that," Liz said, grabbing the iPod from his hand and selecting a song.

"Do you have the time…  
To listen to me whine…  
About nothing and everything all at once?"

"Don't bother," Soul murmured, stretching his arms behind his head as he tipped his head back and watched the sunset.

"We should hang out tomorrow, you and me," Liz said casually, "You're not going to that lame ass Homecoming crap are you?"

Soul shook his head. "You're not hanging with Kid?"

Liz nodded. "Yeah, he promised to take me out for breakfast tomorrow morning," she said as she twirled a strand of her honey blonde hair.

Soul frowned.

"But, his dad is forcing him to be at shitty Homecoming dance; he has to do this whole speech crap; I think the little sucker actually enjoys it."

"What a charmer," Soul laughed. "You sure he won't mind us hanging out while the dance goes on?"

"He never seems to mind when me and Hiro hang out," she said a bit too sweetly.

"That's cause he doesn't know you and Hiro hang out; neither does his girlfriend." Soul smirked.

"Hah, Kim's doesn't give Hiro any attention as it is, I'm pretty sure she's a lesbian. Do you see how she dresses?"

"Whatever, Liz," Soul smiled as he raised the volume on the iPod nano and leaned his head back to continue staring up at the sky.

"...Sometimes I give myself the creeps

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me

It all keeps adding up

I think I'm cracking up…"

(Soul)

"This sucks ass, man," Soul sighed as he mopped the blue tiles of the boy's locker room.

"I know but at least we get paid," Black-Star said, carrying a green bin full of trash down the corridor. "And make sure you make that floor shine or Coach Sid won't be afraid to add a couple hundred push-ups to our gym routine."

"Psh," Soul groaned, tossing the mop aside and letting it clatter against the ground.

"You act like you haven't worked a day in your life," Black-Star laughed.

"You know what," Soul said with a smirk, "I think we should take a break and have some fun."

"What are you getting at?" Black-Star asked, leaning against one of the lockers.

"Oh, c'mon," Soul said, waving his arms, "It's early on a Saturday morning, who's going to be here? We have this whole damn school open to ourselves with keys to open nearly any door."

"I don't know," Black-Star said cautiously, "I'm not much of a prankster."

"We won't do anything serious, some small shit, ya know," he said pacing the corridor.  
He stopped suddenly. "I've got the perfect idea; you've got the keys to the library, huh?"

Black-Star nodded, fumbling with the ring of keys in his hand. "Alright, as long as we ain't doing anything too insane, I'm in," he grinned.

The boys dashed up the stairs to the third floor, passing the music room with it's large glass doors and dusty piano sitting center.

*click!*

The boys stepped into the dimly lit library as the only light was coming through cracks of paper curtains covering the large windows. An air conditioner hummed even though it was quite chilly outside.

"Man, it's freezing in here," Black-Star complained. "So are we going to fuck with these librarians or something? Ms. Leech is pretty fucking uptight."

Soul shook his head. "Do you know who Kid is?" he said as he paced quickly down the library, peering through the aisles of bookcases, half expecting Ms. Leech to pop out and literally devour his soul.

"What kid?" Black-Star asked, walking close behind.

"No, no, KID," Soul answered, "as in his name is Kid."

"Woah, woah," Black-Star said, "The junior? Headmaster Death's son? "

Soul nodded and allowed a mischievous smirk to come to be on his face.  
"So he spent all last night organizing these books, I don't know, maybe he has an organization kink or whatever…"

"And we're gonna… unorganize them?" Black-Star questioned.

Soul stopped at and aisle and began to make havoc: switching around books, mixing colors, disalaphetizing them.  
"You don't understand," Soul laughed, "He's literally nuts about organization and school rules and everything. He's a total freak of nature."

"Seems lame, but whatever," Black-Star laughed, joining in on mismatching all the books.  
"But why exactly are we fucking with him?"

Soul laughed. "Just to make a few things fall into place," he said, throwing a few books of the shelves. "And he's a total ass; you know he blew of his woman last night to organize these little shits?"

"So now you've become the god of social justice?" Black-Star teased.

"Yeah and I'd like to pound that girl with my gavel," Soul joked.

"Dude, you're fucking disgusting," Black-Star laughed back.

"Hah," Soul said, "Now go move around those encyclopedias, that'll really fuck him up."

(Maka)

Maka made her way down the school hallway as she clutched her novel in her arms. The librarian Ms. Leech absolutely adored her, Maka hoped she didn't mind her borrowing another book for over the weekend.

The little black clock above the library displayed the time 8:15 as Maka walked through the library doors, pulling her purple sweater tighter when the air conditioner's chill hit her.

"A bloody fucking mess!" someone cried from inside the library.

Maka sighed.

"It's just a fucking disgrace! Did I not pay enough attention to such a mess? Oh, how father would be so upset with me if he knew I let such a disaster exist in his wondrous school. I'm unfit to be a student here; surely, someone else wouldn't allow such a catastrophe happen. It's simply atrocious! A monstrosity! A-"

"Hey!" Maka yelled in an attempt to get the yellowed eyed boy's attention as he sat rocking back and forth on the library's checkered tile floor.  
This time, she honestly felt pity towards the poor boy instead of her usual urge to laugh until her stomach cramped.

His eyes were bloodshot red from crying and tears streaked his pale cheeks. "Oh, please don't look at me," he cried, "I'm such a fucking mess, a disappointment, my father-"

*snort!*

Maka whipped around and saw a flash of blue through the books in an adjacent shelf.  
"Who's there?!" she called out, stomping over the shelf. "Cowards!" she called out.

"Ah, c'mon," a voice said casually from behind her, "we're just having some fun."

She whipped around to see a boy with snow white hair leaning against the bookshelf wearing an incredibly sly grin across his face. His eyes were red as rubies.

"And you couldn't find a better way to entertain yourselves?" Maka said, putting her hands on her hip.

The boy laughed, revealing his teeth that were sharp as daggers. "I don't know, it's kind of hard to do that when I'm forced to live with a lack of… private time," he joked.

"Repulsive," Maka hissed.

"Let's just go finishing cleaning the gym, Soul," a boy with blue hair said behind him.  
"I didn't know he'd freak out this bad," he murmured.

Soul nodded and smirked. "Sorry for the trouble, princess," he said before walking off.

Maka walked back over the boy who was still crying on the library floor, trying to organize the books as teared smeared his eyesight.

She frowned. "Do you want any he-"

"Please don't tell anyone," he cried, snapping to look at her.

"What?" Maka said, shocked, "you're gonna let that white-haired punk bother you like this? Ms. Leech will rip his soul out if you tell her."

"It's not a big deal," he pouted. "I can't let my father know I still get like this, please, I'm begging you not to tell."

"Alright, fine," Maka said forcefully, sitting down next to him and picking up a big blue encyclopedia, "But, you shouldn't let people push you around like that, you have to take a stand and defend yourself."

He shook his head as she handed him the book. "Don't worry," he said eyeing her,  
"I can handle myself."

(Soul)

Soul headed to the main courtyard of the Shibusen feeling royally pissed off.

After the whole incident in the library, Black-Star decided to totally blow-up, which kind of took Soul as a surprise since he seemed like a pretty shy kid.  
It wasn't Soul's fault that the headmaster's son didn't even have a pair of balls.  
All they did mess up few aisles in the library; they didn't even get to do any real damage since Kid had suddenly burst into the school's library at 8:00 AM on a Saturday morning.  
However, it was all worth it to Soul to be able to see his huge meltdown in the middle of the library.

"Don't worry," Soul had said to Black-Star before leaving to find Liz, "He has his little tiny-tit princess to comfort his whiny, spoilt ass."

Black-Star shouted accusations down the hall of Soul just wanting to piss Kid off because he was jealous of his girlfriend, but Soul brushed him off.  
Soul was cool, at least he believed he was; he just needed to let Black-Star finish his monthly cycle so they could start being bros again.

Liz stood in the middle of the school's courtyard in flowy floral dress and a dark wash denim jacket.  
Soul smiled when he saw her.

"Hey, Liz, surprise to see you up so early and not vomiting into a toilet," Soul teased.

Liz scoffed as she applied a thick layer of pink gloss to her puckered lips.  
"I feel the same; how was locker room duty?"

"Just as you'd expect," he smirked, "Did you head out to breakfast with Kid yet?"

"Psh," Liz said, throwing her lip gloss tube into her bag. "I was just about to go by myself; I think Kid is blowing me off again."

"I wonder what's so important to him that he blew of his own girlfriend?" Soul grinned.

"You know, he takes so much damn time to get ready," she complained, flipping her hair. "Or maybe he decided to reorganize that library again."

"Mhm, maybe" Soul said casually.  
"Hey, why don't we just head out to IHOP or something together? My treat."

"I'm glad you asked," Liz said, motioning for Soul to follow her, "Kid was supposed to drive, so I hope you don't mind walking. It shouldn't be too far."

"Not at all, I'd let you ride on the back of my bike if I had it here with me" Soul said.

"Flattered," Liz laughed.  
"I'm actually so relieved," she sighed, "He's so embarrassing to take out in public."

"But, you do love him anyway, right? He is your boyfriend," Soul said smoothly, raising an eyebrow.

Something flickered in Liz's expression, contorting her face into a serious expression that took Soul quite aback.

"I should."

(Maka)

The sky was a light blue as the pale sun left soft yellow light running in shapes across the matted lilac carpet laid on the floor.

Maka waved around her wet purple nails. "It's ridiculous," she said furiously, "I can't believe that dickhead."

Jackie giggled, applying a layer of concrete glitter as a topcoat for her blood red nails. "You're so cute when you're mad, Maka," she laughed, "I never knew you had such a temper."

"I do not have a temper!" she waved furiously, before they both suddenly burst into an eruption of laughter.  
Despite Maka's usual self, she found it quite shocking how relaxing and fun it was to just sit around and talk to another girl, painting their nails and curling each other's hair.  
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to lay back every now and then and have a friend.  
Well, of course if it didn't interrupt her studies.

"So who were the guys?" Jackie asked, applying a second coat of glitter.

Maka chewed her lip, impatient with how long it took for this stinking polish to dry.  
"The one dude was called Soul," she said distastefully, "he's in our grade. White hair, literal fangs for teeth."

"Soul," she said, pulling herself away from perfecting her manicure. "The boy with the red eyes?"

"Mhm," Maka nodded.

"Oh, Maka, I'm sure him being so mean was a misunderstanding," she swooned. "Do you know he plays guitar and piano, but he's too shy to play in front of anyone? Oh, and he has such a great taste in music…"

"You know him?" Maka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, not personally," Jackie said, "but he hangs out with Kim and her friends." She giggled. "She says I should man-up and get him to notice me if I really like him."

Maka shook her head. "Jackie, that dude is worth two cents."

"Oh Maka, you wouldn't understand these things," Jackie said, returning to polishing her nails, "you never seem interested in these kinds of things."

Maka frowned and shrugged; she had to agree. She didn't understand.

Jackie giggled. "Don't worry about it, Maka," she said, "I wish I could be smart and focus on other cool things other than boys and nail polish."  
Maka smiled.  
"Anyway," Jackie said in a more cheerful tone, "Who was the poor sucker they pranked? Was it that poor skinny sophomore with the light purple hair? Everyone's always messing with that poor kid…"

Maka bit her lip. "Don't tell anyone, please," the boy had asked her. Even looking back on it now, she realized she had completely forgotten to ask for his name in the first place.

She shrugged, once again. "Yeah, it was the skinny one…," she lied. "Poor kid."

(Soul)

Svelte, tan legs and long, honey blonde hair.  
Soul grinned as they strolled down the littered sidewalks of a shoddy neighborhood in Death City. The sky was turning to a purplish orange as night began to take over the sky.

Small, retro style homes lined the streets with dented, old lemon cars parked in their driveways.

"That crusty janitor they hired lives somewhere around here," Liz added nonchalantly, sipping who-knows-what out of a brown paper bag.

Soul nodded and glanced over at Liz.  
He was really proud of the fact that he was able to get close to her; not that it was a challenge for Soul, anyway, he was a pretty cool guy after all, and nothing and no one could change that about him. Well, at least that's what he believed.

Down the road, bumping music sounded from a small dingy house painted a faded pink with bright lights peering out of cracked shutters.

"That's the place," Liz said, slightly slurring her words.  
Soul felt giddy; it wasn't unusual for them to go and hang at a party on the weekends, but tonight Kid wouldn't be there babbling away about his dumb neat obsessions.  
He practically had Liz all to himself.

The strong smell of alcohol hit him straight in the face when they first stepped in. Someone had duct-taped plastic purple cups over the lights to give the room a violet glow.  
Girls in short, tight skirts were twirling their hair and drinking as guys rough-housed and played beer pong.

"...There's a place way down in Bed-Stuy,  
Where a boy lives behind bricks,  
He's got an eye for girls of eighteen,  
And he turns them out like tricks…"

"Hey, hey, my bitches!" Kim called with bloodshot red eyes. "Soul, why don't you go hang around? I need to talk to Lizzie for a second, drinks are in the kitchen."

Soul nodded and wandered off.

"...A little liquor on my lips  
I let him climb inside my body…"

A boy with dark skin and dreadlocks sat in the kitchen, fiddling with a bulky camera.

"You the press or something?" Soul teased as he took a shot of who-knows-what from a glass bottle on the kitchen counter. Plastic cups littered the floor and by the smell of, someone had definitely vomited in that trash can.

The boy laughed. "Nah, just trying to get this stupid piece of junk to actually work."  
His eyes flicked up and he held a steady gaze on Soul's face before grinning.

"Evans," the boy said.

"...Don't belong to no city  
Don't belong to no man  
I'm the violence in the pouring rain…"

Soul looked up, confusion furrowing his brow. "Do I know you?" he questioned, "You go to Shibusen?

The boy shook his head. "No, I don't, but dude, your brother is practically famous!" he beamed as Soul grimaced, "Wes, yeah, Wes Evans, that's his name."

"Glad you're into his music," Soul said coldly, pouring himself another drink.  
The dim light fixture began flickering.

The boy slid off his chair and stepped over. "You play anything?"

Soul quickly nodded, wishing the boy would go away.

"Yeah, I play a little bit, too. I usually go to band camp over the summer; it's pretty chill," he said cooly. "What's your name, by the way?"

"Soul."

"Killik," the boy said. "I dabble in photography, too. The arts are just so interesting, you know? All that devotion and inspiration…" he said dreamily. "Ah, just forget me, I bet this isn't the kind of talk you have at partie like this; they aren't really my thing."

Soul nodded once again, wanting to hate Killik for mentioning his brother but something about his demeanor was just calming. A part of Soul didn't mind hearing him talk on and on about music and art.

"Anyways, Soul," Killik said, "nice to meet you, and I hope you don't ever give up on music."

"Is that because you hope I'll grow up to be like my brother?" Soul questioned, with a sudden coldness that shocked himself.

However, Killik didn't flinch but instead laughed.  
"It's because I hope you find your own self by getting lost in your own passion; I know I have, and I can say, it's truly a great thing."

Killik walked off as Soul took another shot.  
"Say hello to a Jackie Dupre for me, if you know her," he called out, "a friend from band camp…"

Soul tapped his fingers against the counter.  
"...find your own self by getting lost in your own passion…"

A scream rang out and Soul flinched. The flickering light was starting to give him a headache, or maybe that was just the who-knows-what in the bottle.

He wandered back into the main room. From there, he could see through the windows that night had fully fallen and stars speckled the sky outside.

With bloodshot red-eyes, Liz stood with her fist clenched opposite of Kim who looked equally as pissed. Hiro leaned against the wall vibrating from the exceptionally loud music, he was obviously completely wasted.

"...I went down to a place in Brooklyn  
Where you tripped on LSD…"

"You slept with my boyfriend!" Kim screamed out, shaking her fists. "You dirty whore!"

"I never slept with your boyfriend, even when he graciously asked me too," Liz slurred.

"Lying bitch!" Kim spat back, fury in her aquamarine eyes.

"Hah, he's just dripping for attention from girls, just like you are!" she screamed.

"Dyke!" someone had screamed from the other side of the room.

Kim glared over, parted her lips to retort, and hunched over before suddenly puking all over the frayed carpet.

"...Ha ah ah ha ah ah ah  
I'm a hurricane…"

"That's deeeee-gusting," Hiro said casually as he stretched out his back, clearly unaffected by the argument that just occurred between the girls.

Kim coughed as tears streaked her makeup free cheeks.  
"I'm not a lesbian," she choked out.

Liz scoffed, scrutinizing the crying girl kneeling over a pool of her own vomit.  
"Fucking dyke" Liz hissed, looking over her with a cold grin that stretched across her cheeks.

Kim shot up, clenched her fist, and,

*bam!*

The punch landed neatly in the palm of Soul's hand, shielding Liz's nose and strawberry coated lips.  
Kim wore a shocked, embarrassing expression, her eyes nearly twice as red from all the alcohol and crying.

"Leave," he said coldly.

Kim gritted her teeth and dashed out the door.  
"Swift move, bro," Hiro mumbled before staggering out the door after his girlfriend.

Soul turned around, his icy gaze turning into one of his world famous smirks. He gingerly put his arm around Liz.

"Let's have some fun tonight, enjoy ourselves," Soul whispered sweetly into Liz's ear as she grinned widely.

"...Come and fade me  
I'm a hurricane.."

(Maka)

Students twirled about, giggling with their friends as a soft classical music filled the school gym. The main lights brightly lit the room as the students awaited for a speech to be given before the dance was to formally commence.

Maka folded her arms across her plum colored dress as she listened to Jackie chitter about next to her as she swayed in her gothic style dress and laughed away with her rouge stained lips that were gladly not coated in three layers of concrete glitter.

A curious look was apparent in Maka's eyes as she scanned the crowd for the yellow eyed boy.

"Maybe he didn't come," Maka wondered with a hint of disappointment.  
However, Maka a huge flood of relief as she saw no signs of boys with snow white hair and crimson colored eyes.

The sharp, high-pitched sound of audio feedback caused the chatting in the gym to cease.

Headmaster death in a deep black suit stepped up to the stage on the farther end of the gym, too far away for Maka to make out his exact features.

He rambled off for a few minutes and the excitement for the dance began swelled up inside the students.  
From how far back Maka was standing, the man looked somewhat of that of a grim reaper with his pale bald head, dark suit, and hollow-looking eyes from the odd shadows being casted from the gym's lighting.

"C'mon," Jackie whispered, linking her arm in Maka's, "Move up, I want to see something…"

They pushed their why through the crowd, getting closer to the stage as few students shot them glares from pushing and bumping into them as Jackie murmured quick, hesitant apologies.

By the time they were near the front of the stage, Headmaster Death had bowed and a round of applause rang out from the crowd.

"Now, before we officially begin our dance," the Headmaster called out cheerfully in his usual, wacky voice, "Let's allow a few words from my son."

Maka glanced up, and for a brief second, she locked eyes with the Headmaster's yellow pupils as a warm grin spread across his face.

"Son?" Maka wondered.

The boy from the library made his way center stage to where a microphone was set in it's stand.  
This boy, however, seemed different with a sure walk and confidence in his eyes. A complete contrast from the tear-stained, unnerved boy crying on the library floor over color organization.

Wearing a pristine white suit nearly as pale as him with his black hair swept to the side, he cleared his throat and picked up the microphone.  
He smiled warmly, scanning the crowd but making no signs of noticing Maka.

"Or maybe he doesn't remember you…" Maka thought with a sudden sadness melting inside of her.

After his brief speech was over, students whistled and whooped in the crowd as he bowed before exiting the stage.

The main lights dimmed leaving only the violet glow from rented LED lights placed around the gym. Music (private school appropriate music) began to play through the speakers as the chatter of students erupted.

Jackie sighed loudly. "I don't see Soul anywhere, and I got all dressed up just to dance with him," she frowned.

Maka firmly grasped her arm and smiled. "Jackie, you're a beautiful girl, you shouldn't get dressed up for anyone but yourself," she giggled, "make this night about you, not about impressing someone else who isn't worth your time."

Jackie smiled, "Thanks, Maka, you're right" she giggled, "I'm going to go grab some punch; want a glass?"

Maka shook her as Jackie pushed her way through the crowed.  
She felt a sudden wave of nerves when she realized she was standing alone on the dance floor amidst her peers, but she soon became calm and found herself swaying to music, blending into the crowd.

She felt a warm hand on her back.

"Pleasure to see you here, tonight," a voice as rich as dark chocolate said smoothly.  
She twirled around as her purple dress ruffled in the quick breeze.

"I would like to formally apologize for my unflattering disposition during our past meetings," he said with such formality that Maka was taken quite a back.  
"I was hoping we could start off fresh," he said, extending his hand, "My name is Kid, son of Headmaster Death."

She took his hand and shook it, a sudden redness flooding her face. "I'm Maka," she said, still shocked at Kid's sudden change in mien, "Maka Albarn, I transferred here in August."

"My pleasure," he smiled, "would you like to dance?"

"Like, waltz?" she said, raising a brow, "to this kind of music?"

"With waltzing, we can make our own music," he said swiftly, still grasping her one hand and placing his hand on her hip.

Maka nodded, hoping the violet light canceled the beet red color of her cheeks.

"...He says, "Oh, baby girl, you know we're gonna be legends  
I'm the king and you're the queen and we will stumble through heaven  
If there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes  
I know you wanna go to heaven but you're human tonight..."

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Maka thought with a small splinter of frustration as her mouth felt dry as cotton balls. She hoped he didn't notice the clamminess of her palms.

They twirled around the small pocket of space within the crowd.  
Faces blurred by and Maka caught sight of Tsubaki standing amongst the students in a stunning, body hugging seafoam green gown, winking at Maka with a sly smile.

Maka chuckled to herself, allowing herself to relax and flow with the music and enjoy the night.

"...But do you feel like a young god?  
You know the two of us are just young gods  
And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath  
And they're running, running, running…"

To be continued…

Ah, Thank you so much again for reading...I'm sitting curled up in my living watching Goosebumps as of now, do any of you remember those movies? Haha, I love the Halloween season. Well, see you guys next time…


	4. Chapter 4: Bruises and Cheap Cologne

Hey, guys...did I already mention I absolutely love the Halloween season? I really do :p

(*P.S - I've combined chapter 2 and 3 and made some slight changes...)

Chapter 4:

(Maka)

Outside the large glass windows separting the sets of lockers, trees burned a fierce red, scattering their crismon leaves on the yellowed grass.  
Clouds scattered in the sky and the scant amount of sunlight pouring through the patches gave little to no warmth, especially against the chilly October breeze.

Maka hurried along down the crowded school hallway to Professor Stein's class, passing tired faces of students who certainly did not enjoy Monday mornings.

Turning a corner into an open foyer area of the school, Maka noticed students looking over their shoulders and snickering, pointing something out to her friends.

Maka glanced over and saw Kim angrily throwing her books in her locker and then slamming it shut. " _DYKE"_ was sprawled across her locker with thick, permanent ink.  
As Kim stomped off, pushing a few kids out of her way as they teased her, Maka noticed Jackie leaning against one of the nearby lockers with a clear, sorry look on her face.

Maka also noticed a boy with snow white hair lounging around close by with a clear grin on his face stretching unusually wide…

Construction paper cut-outs of pumpkins and ghosts were stuck on the cafeteria walls along with winter sport try-out notices and fliers encouraging students to donate canned goods for a food drive.

A few hours later, Maka sat at lunch alone with Jackie, an untouched chicken salad drenched in caesar dressing sitting in front of her.

"She won't talk to me as she usually," Jackie said, fiddling with her manicured nails which were now a deep mauve color, "After she didn't come back that Homecoming night…" she trailed off.

"Why does anyone care if she's a lesbian or not, anyway? Aren't there more pressing matters to think about?" Maka asked, munching on an apple and skimming through pages of her history textbook.

"Because sometimes people like to be jerks," Jackie said angrily, stabbing her salad with a plastic spork.

Maka sighed. "Speaking of jerks, here comes the asshole who probably scribbled on Kim's locker…"

Jackie glanced up to see Soul making his way through the lunchroom, unaccompanied by his blue-hair friend.  
He pulled out a chair at a crowded table and lazily plopped down in it, smirking at a junior with honey blonde hair and shiny lips. Next to her sat her boyfriend who was flipping through pages of a dusty novel, scanning the pages with his unusual yellow eyes.

Maka puckered her lips as if she tasted something sour.

"Tch," Jackie said, furrowing her brows in anger and stabbing her salad once again with her plastic utensil, "You can't keep blaming him for every single petty prank that gets played on her by students!" she said fiercely, shooting Maka a dagger-like glare.

"Jeez," Maka said, taking a bite of her apple, "How can you defend him like that? He played that awful prank last time," Maka said, failing at trying to conceal the annoyance in her voice.

"That was different; he was just joking around; everyone plays dumb pranks on Crona," Jackie said fiercely, "He wouldn't go as far as to do something like that!"

"How would you know that!?" Maka said, obviously pissed off as Jackie sharply stood up, "You're being completely blinded by a Class A douchebag!"

Jackie spun around on her heels and balled her hands into fists. "Why do you always assume you know everything Maka? Because you think you're so smart with your perfect grades and crap?!" Jackie said angrily as a few nearby tables quited down and looked.  
"I know he didn't spray-paint Kim's locker this morning because _he was with me_!" Jackie spat hotly, looking as if she wanted to keep yelling but instead grunted in frustration before taking off.

Maka watched as Jackie stomped out of the cafeteria, kids snickering all around her as her cheeks burned red from anger. Or maybe it was the embarrasment, or the tears she felt welling up behind her lashes. Maybe she just had to vomit.

Looking over she noticed Soul sitting a bit too comfortably in his lunch chair with his arms crossed behind his head.  
He was smirking at her with a devilish gleam in his eyes as the blonde girl giggled something into his hear, probably smearing a bit of her lipgloss on his earlobe.  
Kid was watching her too, his face deviod of any emotions due to his grave, serious gaze.

Maka grabbed her history textbook and marched through the cafetieria, feeling a chill go down her spine eyes burned on her back as she passed by Soul's table, hearing a few giggles which made her cheeks turn pink once again from wanting to run away, scream, cry, and most likely vomit.

(Soul)

Students shuffled along in the halls making their way to last period with an unrestless air about them, the hallways scented of sweat and floral body spray.  
A janitor with shaggy red hair stood scrubbing away at Kim's locker as some screwy biology teacher stood nearby chatting away with him, smoking a cigarrette even though it was probably against school policy.

"Sorry I missed you this morning and your freak meeting, I had some studying to catch up on," Soul said casually, leaning against a beige locker.

"We're not freaks," Black-Star mumbled, fiddling with his lock.

"Yeah, I was just messing around with you, dude" Soul laughed to himself, checking out a few blonde babes walking past him in the hallway.  
"Oh, and I can't make it to hang out with you guys in the basketball court tonight, I've got plans."

"I figured," Black-Star mumbled.

Soul glanced over. "Hey, you feeling alright, man?" he said, "You've been awful quite lately, not yourself…"

"Because I feel so fucking lously," Black-Star said, slamming his locker and leaning up against it.

"Ah, you're still not over that dumb prank?" Soul snickered, "C'mon, we never got caught; no one knows about it expect that tiny blonde chick, what's her name? Molly, or whatever?"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Black-Star said, wearing a concerned expression, "We really hurt that kid alright? I've never seen him get like that before."  
Black-Star sighed.  
"And you've really changed since you first began classes here, you know that?" he said.

Soul furrowed his brow and met Black-Star's eyes.  
"What do you mean?" he said wearing a confused grin, "I'm a cool guy, Black-Star, I don't freak out over little things like library books or over anlalyze petty crap. I can call up any female chick in this school to do it for me."

Black-Star shook his head and laughed, "A cool guy…" he said, walking away from Soul and to his next class, "I'll say…"

(Maka)

Despite the chilly weather outside, the air conditioner inside th library still hummed at full blast, causing the paper curtains to billow in the breeze.

Maka sat tapping her fingernails against the mahogony table in as she stared blankly at her computer screen.  
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on her homework or shake the frustration of what happened at lunch.

" _How could Jackie be so shallow just for a stupid boy?"_ Maka thought, furrowing her brows.  
Maybe she _did_ have anger issues, or at least a difficulty in taking a deep breath and letting things go.

Maybe Maka just wasn't cool like that.

"How are you feeling?" a voice said, waking Maka up from the swirling thoughts and feelings that were drowning her in annoyance.

"Oh, hey Kid," Maka murmured with a light tint of pink appearing on her cheeks as she remembered him being one of the people witnessing her little "issue" with Jackie during lunch.  
"You need something?"

He shook his head. "I saw what happened between you and your friend today in the caferia," he said, "I assume you and Jacqueline are no longer on good terms, am I correct?"

"I guess not," Maka said, shrugging.

"Don't feel so down," Kid said, nodding and allowing a slight gri to appear on his lips, "Soul Evans is definitely a Class A douchebag."

Maka allowed a small smile to stretch across her cheeks.  
"Evans…," Maka wondered aloud, "Where have I heard that last name before?"

Kid began to speak when a clattering of heels came down the smooth marble hallways of the library.

"My library is an area of studious silence!" Ms. Leech snapped with a strict, bitter tone, "If you must be intrusive and disrespectful, do so elsewhere!"

"My apologies," Kid said to Ms. Leech quickly with his usual tone of formality. He glanced over at Maka.  
"Why don't we head off to somewhere more private?"

(Maka)

The air had definitely warmed up since the morning, but it still had a chilly bite to it.  
Leaves crunched under Maka's feet as she and Kid strolled the nearly deserted sidewalks of Death City that Monday afternoon.

"I've never seen Death City so quite…" Maka commented, remembering the day she arrived and the bustling crowds of people and automobiles.

"Most places around the main streets here are tourist attractions or cafes," Kid said, "It's usually pretty empty during the weekdays, especially when it begins to get cold."

He cleared his throat; a gentle breeze causing more leaves to lightly drop from their branches as those beneath them to swirl in a circle around their feet.

"I actually came to talk to you about your friend, Jackie," Kid said, "I see she's completely head over heels for Evans."

Maka nodded slowly, wanting to stay with Kid and have him talk to her, but also wanting to drop the subject of Jackie and Soul.

"I was hoping you would be able to get her to forget about Soul," he said, "however; I guess it's a bit too late for that; were you even aware they were seeing each other?"

"I wasn't," Maka said, feeling more betrayal seep into her, "she hasn't even brought him up since Homecoming last month; I didn't think she had such strong feelings for him."

" _I didn't think she was such an idiot,"_ Maka thought bitterly.

Kid took a sharp inhale of breath and motioned towards a bench where they then sat.  
"Do you know my girlfriend, Maka?" Kid asked, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Not by name, but yes," Maka whispered, really wanting the subject to change now.

"Elizabeth Thompson," Kid said, pursing his lips and gazing off into the sky. "She has natural honey blonde curls and loves the scent of strawberries. She can't stand chipped nail polish and acts tough but is actually horrified of horror stories and the dark…" Kid trailed off.

" _Why is he telling me this?"_ Maka thought to herself as she picked at a stray string hanging from her uniform skirt, once again unsure if she had to scream, cry, or possibly vomit.

"Sounds like you really love her…" she murmured.

"She doesn't love me back," Kid said as a sad smile remained on his face.  
"The night of the Homecoming dance," he said, staring down at his perfectly polished shoes, "she was with Soul."

"She was...?" Maka said quietly, still not fully understanding where this conversation was going and not wanting to upset Kid any further.

"There's videos she sent me; she must have been drunk beyond belief for sending them," he said, twisting a ring on his finger of the school's emblem.

Maka nodded. "I'm sorry."

Kid laughed.  
"Fool me once, shame on you," his expression hardening as he finally caught Maka's eyes.  
"Fool me twice, shame on me."

(Soul)

A bulky, old portable radio sat perched on the edge of a log as music quitely flowed through the surronding trees of the forest bordering Shibusen.  
Cigarette buds and cracked beer bottles littered the forest floor.

" _Polarize is taking your disguises,  
Separating them, splitting them up from wrong and right…"_

Soul leaned lazily against the log as Liz rested her head on his shoudler, blowing a thin stream of cigarrette smoke from her mouth.  
Jackie sat giggling away as Hiro told an endless supply of jokes and stories about past girlfriends and insane parties.

" _It's deciding where to die and deciding where to fight,  
Deny, deny, denial…"_

"Hey, you're a pretty cool girl, Jackie," Hiro said, taking a swig from a bottle wrapped in a paper bag, "You wanna go chill with me at my brother's apartment?"

Jackie's cheek turned a bright pink as she glanced at Soul.  
"Oh, I don't know...it's a school night and all…"

Liz took a huff of her cigarette.  
"Don't worry about hanging out with Hiro just because he's Kim's ex-boyfriend," she said as she sluggishly played with a frayed strand of her hair.

Jackie gasped. "Oh, n-no," she stammered, waving her hands, "it's not like that at all, I swear!"

"Then what's the problem," Liz laughed, catching Jackie's eyes, "You're just so innocent…"

Jacke picked at her manicured nails.  
"I'll go with you, Hiro," she murmured.

Hiro stood unceremoniously and cracked his back, letting out a long yawn.  
"Well, let's head out before Liz runs out of her cancer sticks and turns into a total bitch."

"Psh," Liz said as she smiled.  
"At least I don't get so drunk that I piss my own bed!" she teased back as the clink of Jackie's necklaces and Hiro's laughs could be heard fading away as they walked off.

 _"Help me polarize, help me polarize, help me down_ _  
_ _Those stairs is where I'll be hiding all my problems..."_

"You're terrible," Soul laughed, laying his head back so he could watch the clouds float above the treetops.

*buzz! buzz!*

Liz slipped her phone out of her pocket and cursed under her breath about the signal before she stood abruptly.  
"Follow me," she said as she began to briskly walk off.

"Help me polarize, help me polarize, help me out  
My friends and I, we got a lot of problems..."

Soul groaned. "What is it?" he said, having to jog to catch up with her.

She turned around and grabbed him by the collar and swung him against a thick maple tree, setting a deep kiss onto his lips, mixing the taste of strawberry gloss and nicotine.

Soul smirked. "You're boyfriend will be pissed."

Liz scoffed and took a step back before grabbing her phone and flinging it against a nearby tree, shattering the screen.  
She lit the last cigarette in the carton and took a long huff.  
"I don't have a boyfriend."

(Maka)

"Liz had a younger sister, and she loved her more than anything," Kid had said to Maka as they watched the leaves fall from their trees earlier that day, the sky turning to a pale orange color.

"...I had an older brother," he had said with a more grim tone. Maka noticed the deep look of disgust that had set into his face. "And I hated him more than anything on this Earth."

Maka and Kid now back at Shibusen stood on a stone balcony that overlooked the city, gleaming and peaceful in the autumn sunset.

"Are you okay?" Maka asked as Kid held his cell phone, gazing blankly at the screen.

Kid nodded, slipping the phone in his back pocket.  
A small smile appeared on his lips. "It's something I should have done a long time ago…"

He took a deep breath and gazed out towards the sky.  
"My father accepted Patricia Thompson into Shibusen a year earlier than usual on full scholarship," he began, sounding pained, "she was exceptionally gifted in the arts; painting, drawing, sketching…"

"And Liz?" Maka asked, suddenly yearning to know the whole back story.

"She worked part-time in a Starbucks near the railroad," he said, gesturing towards the city, "the girls both lived in a crowded foster home in a poorer part of town; Liz was saving up to move out of Death City with her sister."

He messed with the rings on his fingers.  
"My brother was eighteen years old and completely infatuated with Elizabeth."

"They dated?" Maka asked.

Kid shook his head. "Liz didn't like him back, she thought he was just some stuck-up rich boy,"  
"But my brother was persistent."

"Persistent how?" Maka questioned, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"He was unstable, very controlling" Kid said, once again refusing to meet Maka's eyes, "He would want things one way and wouldn't accept anything else."

"What did he do?" Maka pleaded as a sinking feeling pulled through her stomach.

"An independant senior prank," Kid laughed bitterly, "The Freshmen rooms for the girls were placed on the top floor of the dorm…"

Flashbacks of the burnt, molded attic flowed in Maka's mind, causing her to feel sick.

"He knew what Liz loved more than anything was her sister, he was so jealous; I want to believe he didn't intend to create as much damage as he did…" Kid sighed.

He lightly gripped the railing and caught Maka's eyes.  
"A firecracker," he began, "he set off a firecracker in the Freshmen dorm."

"What happened to the girls?" Maka asked, stunned.

"Almost all of them got out through the emergency exit, but Patti and her room got caught behind the flames," Kid said.

Maka bit her lip and broke eye contact, deciding to stare out into the city instead.

"By the time the firefighters and medics got inside Shibusen and onto the top floor it was too late," Kid said barely above a whisper.

"But," Maka began, "How does that link Liz to you? Why did she end up coming here after that happened to her sister?"

Kid laughed despite the sadness in his eyes.  
"You'd have to ask her…"

(Soul)

"So why'd you come after all the crap happened?" Soul asked, sitting on his bed in just his boxers as Liz observed the posters on the wall.

She took a swig of a flask.  
"It was complicated," Liz said stumbling a bit on her words, obviously drunk, "I had just lost my sister, and the last place I wanted to go was back to our room in the foster home."  
"Headmaster Death reached out to me."

"To come here?" Soul asked.

"He offered me a full-scholarship," Liz said, "he was apparently heartbroken over what happened, I think he really does care for all the scumbags that walk through the door, or at least he cares about his reputation and bank account."

"So he offered you a full-ride here so you'd keep your mouth shut about your sister?" Soul asked, slightly pissed off, "to protect his reputation and son?"

"He couldn't protect his son," Liz slurred, "he's locked up somewhere now, everyone think he's some sort of psychopath."

Soul nodded.

"Death told me how he wanted me to have a future, didn't want this whole thing to destroy me," Liz said, taking another drink, "He knew I wanted to get far away from Death City more than anything; this was supposed the be his way of trying to make it up to me."

"Why didn't he just pay for you to be sent somewhere else?" Soul questioned.

"There was only so much he could do," Liz said, leaning against the wall and meeting Soul's eyes. "Just having a diploma saying I graduated from here could get me a lot of places."

"You're not exactly the teacher's pet kind of person, though," Soul laughed.

Liz shrugged. "I had to drop a year," she began, "So right now I'd actually be a senior if I kept attending public high school; I'll be eighteen next month."  
"And besides, they offer a lot of classes here that offer job experience: psychology, marketing, forensics…"

"I didn't know you took any of those courses," Soul said, walking over and leaning next to her.

She nodded. "A few, they don't really feel like classes, though," Liz said, "I don't do any of the homework, but the teachers don't really mind me because I do so well in class."  
"I wanna be a psychologist, to help people like his brother," Liz whispered, "but I'm afraid if Death knew how much I drank or how many parties I went to he'd throw me out, thinking I'm really not that worried about my future."

Soul snorted. "Surprised he hasn't caught on," he said, snatching Liz's flask and waving it in the air before taking a sip. "You must of used your 'charm' to get onto his blind side," he teased.

"Yeah," Liz said, crossing her arms and looking at her feet, "I did it by dating his son."

(Maka)

Outside, the orange-tinted sunset began to fade to a deep purple as night began to take over Death City.

"You sure you're not going to get in trouble for walking me to my room?" Maka asked as she and Kid made their way down the corridors of the girl's dorm.

"Nonsense," Kid said grinning, "I know the faculty and staff quite well, they certainly won't mind at all." He snickered, "You should see how 'well' Professor Stein guards the boy's dormitory."

Maka allowed a small smile on her face as she watched her shoes.  
"What are you going to do about Liz?" Maka asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper, curious to know but afraid to put Kid in a bad mood.

He coughed and adjusted his collar.  
"Nothing," Kid said bluntly, "I won't try to protect her, I won't try to protect her."  
"Maka, I care about her, I really do," he said, "I had the willpower to fight for her, but not actually _fight_ her."

"What do you mean?" Maka asked.

"The drinking, the smoking, the parties," Kid laughed, "Liz," he began, "she just wanted to be a normal teenager, live a little, even if things sometimes got out of hand."  
"I was never interested in those things," he said as they reached Maka's room, "I didn't understand her, we weren't meant to be together."

Maka nodded.

Kid pursed his lips in a sad smile.  
"I know she's kind of rough and a bit of a bitch," he laughed, "but she really does care, I promise. She just does the wrong things to try and make her feel right."

"Thanks for talking to me, about all of this," Maka said.

"Thank you for listening," Kid chuckled, "You're a really good person to just open up to, Maka."

"Most people think I'm harsh or overwhelming," she giggled.

"Sometimes it's good to talk to someone who's persistent, someone who isn't afraid to share their opinion," he said, "Most people tip-toe around me as if I'm a ticking time bomb."  
He sighed. "Ah, I don't really blame them."

Maka laughed.

"Well, sorry for keeping you away from your homework, I know how important that is for you," Kid said.

Maka shook her head. "Don't worry about the homework, I'm glad we talked," she smiled, "Goodnight, Kid."

"Goodnight, Maka."

(Soul)

Soul wandered around the lobby of the boy's dormitory after recently slamming the door in Black-Stars face when the argument of "why the hell does our room smell cheap tequila" and "why the hell do you smell like cheap cologne" ended on quite a sour note.

A few of Black-Stars friends were coming in, carrying their cases of instruments from practice.  
They waved, but Soul just sneered and kept walking by.

" _Freaks,"_ he thought.

A janitor with red shaggy hair stood on a step stool as he was fixing a wall lamp that had busted.  
"Hey, can you pass me that screwdriver?" he asked when Soul walked pass.

"You're the new janitor, aren't you?" Soul asked as he handed over the tool, shocked at how young the janitor sounded.

The janitor nodded. "The names Spirit, I graduated here too long ago quite some time ago," he said, "I'm old friends with the Headmaster and a few of the staff here."

"You're from Death City?" Soul asked.

"Born and raised; I moved more out east after getting married," he began, "but, you know, things didn't work out and here I am again," he chuckled.

"Sorry to hear that," Soul said, bored with this conversation.  
Spirit turned to face him. Large eyes, small nose, thin lips. Why did he seem so familiar?

"Thanks for you concern," Spirit said sadly, "It's so hard to be separated from my family, my daughter really but…" he trailed off.  
"Ah, sorry to bring these things up to you," he said stepping off his stool and grabbing his toolbox, "I'm here for a fresh start!"

He began walking off when Soul called out, "You have a daughter?"

"Mhm, probably around your age!" Spirit said, turning his head, "Her name is Maka, she was the sweetest little girl you'd ever see!"

(Maka)

"They're really beautiful, Tsubaki," Maka said, admiring a small bouquet of white tulips that sat on her desk.

"I know, he's such a sweet guy," Tsubaki said, coming out her long hair.  
"I promise I won't be too long in the shower," she said before grabbing her towel and locking herself in the bathroom.

The sound of rushing water was faint in the room as Maka open the desk drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors.  
With one quick snip, Maka had cut off one of the tulips and a bit of the stem.  
After slightly organizing the bouquet to make sure the missing flower was unnoticeable, she dropped the scissors back in the drawer and left the room with the tulip in hand.

The hallways were dark with only moonlight illuminating Maka's path as she made her way down the hall to the large wooden doors that lead to the top floor.

Climbing the stairs and making her way down the depleted corridor of the scorched floor, goosebumps ran down Maka's back.  
Shadows danced along the walls from clouds passing in front of the glowing moon.

She stopped at window where a bulky old stereo sat on the sill, cigarette buds and a few empty beer cans littered by it.

" _Liz,"_ Maka thought.

The tulip, whose petals were already beginning to curl and brown, sat peacefully on top of the radio as Maka made her way back down to her room so she could finally finish her studies.

 _To be continued…_

Wow... totally power wrote this chapter, haha! I love long weekends, but I'm absolutely bored out of my mind :( I'm planning next chapter to be a Halloween special kind of chapter, so I hope you guys will enjoy that...thanks again for reading :D


	5. Chapter 5: Demons and Bloody Tissues

Hello, how is everyone? I've decided to squeeze in one last chapter before Halloween, so I hope you all enjoy :D

Chapter 5:

 ***bang! bang!***

Maka's eyes fluttered open as she shot straight up in her bed.

She sat in a circle of notebooks and papers as she realized she had fallen asleep trying to complete all her assignments after spendig her whole day with Kid.

The faint glow off her open laptop showed Tsubaki's confused face.  
"Who'd be knocking at this hour?" she whispered. Maka shrugged in response.

 _"Wake the hell up and open this goddamn door before I bust it the fuck down!"_ a voice shouted from the hall as another round of knocks proceeded.

Maka swung her legs over her bed and ran over, swinging the door open.

Kim entered their room in a seemingly state of panic as Tsubaki flipped on the lamp that was resting on her nightstand.

"Kim," Tsubaki said worried, "Is something the matter? You seem upset," she asked in her shy, sweet voice.

"Have you seen her?" she asked quickly, scanning the dorm room.

Maka furrowed her brows. "I don't know who "her" is, but you can ask about anyone else on this floor considering you've probably woken everyone up!" she said bitterly, on edge from the lack of sleep and anxiety about her unfinished schoolwork.

"Let's just all calm down a bit," Tsubaki said calmly, rushing to shut the room door and the flipping on the main lights. "Who are you looking for Kim? Do you need me to phone Ms. Marie?"

"Jackie," Kim said, taking a deep breath, "she never came back to the dorm tonight. Never came to pick up any clothes or anything. I haven't seen her since this morning."

Maka scoffed. In all honestly, she had felt a bit worried for Jackie but refused to accept the feeling, especially after lunch today.  
"Jackie has her prince Evans to watch out her for," she said scornfully.

"Look here," Kim said in a fit of anger, "I know Jackie pissed your little princess ass off today but there's no need for you to continue on being a little bitch about it!"

"Excuse me?" Maka said, putting her hands on her hips as Tsubaki waved her hands nervously, not wanting things to get anymore heated.

Kim sighed and ruffled her hair.  
"What I'm trying to say is that I know Jackie can be a bitch, especially when it comes to guys, but if you're really her friend you'd know better than to allow her little 'moods' to bring you against her."

Maka crossed her arms and looked away. "I guess," she murmured as Kim leaned against the wardrobe, gazing out the window.

"Do you have any idea where she might of run off to?" Tsubaki asked.

Kim shrugged. "I was hoping you could tell me that; Me and Jackie haven't really been getting along too well lately, but you're right about her and her little prince 'Soul'," she said, meeting Maka's eyes, "She's been seeing him every now and then for a while…"

"Have you tried calling him?" Maka asked.

"We're not very buddy-buddy," Kim said as she gritted her teeth. "I really hate that kid," she said angrily.

"He does seems like a total ass," Maka said.

Kim laughed despite angry tears beginning to well in her eyes.  
"I don't know who he thinks he is," she said, "he comes into this school claiming to just be a 'cool' guy, but fuck, is he shallow."  
"He stole Kid's girlfriend, not that that girl's worth much anyway," Kim began, "and none of us are saints, but the way he just talks behind Kid's back to Liz…"

Maka shuffled and looked down at her feet.  
"He pulled a prank on Kid…" she began with a dagger of betrayal stabbing her in the gut, "he made him absolutely lose his mind and went about laughing at him…"

Kim shook her head as she slid down the wardrobe door and sat on the carpet.  
"Kid has some inside issues," she began, "and Soul's a complete fucker if he used that to his own's benefit."  
She buried her face in her knees, "That fucker and Kid's girlfriend," she choked, "they're absolutely horrible."

Maka bit her lip, thinking about what Kid had told her earlier that day.  
 _"Maka, I care about her, I really do," he had said to her.  
_ She frowned as a heavy quietness filled the room.

Tsubaki sighed, breaking the silence, and donned one of her sweet, small smiles.  
"Well, Kim," she began, "We're here for you, please, if you need someone to talk to..."

Kim looked up shocked, tears staining her cheeks.  
"No," she began, "I shouldn't have busted in here so late; I acted on impulse because I was just worried and angry," she said as she stood up.

"No, please," Maka said softly,  
"We mean it; we're here for you."

(Soul)

The loud chatter of students and the sounds of crinkling chip bags and snapping open pop cans filled the cafeteria as Soul lounged in his chair, resting his arm around Liz who was fiddling with her nails.

"No way," she whispered with a snide grin, "that broke, drunkard is Maka Albarn's father?"

Soul nodded. "He even showed me her baby picture; there's no mistaking it," he said before taking a sip of a can of Dr. Pepper, "He doesn't even know she goes here as it seems."

Liz laughed. "Incredible."

"Sup, fuckers," Hiro said as he slid into one of the chairs, stealing a sip from Soul's soda.

"Gross, man," Soul commented, "I don't know where your mouth has been," he said, wiping the top of his soda can with his sleeve as Jackie slid into the chair next to Hiro.

"Didn't see you before the bell," Liz said as she tossed a black, outdated iPhone across the table, "you left your phone in the woods yesterday."

"Yeah sorry, I slept in," Jackie said as she rapidly click the phone's home button. _Dead_.

"Wonder what got you so exhausted," Liz teased as everyone else broke into a fit of laughter.

Jackie's cheeks turned a bright red as she glanced at Soul. "Oh, no," she stuttered, "it's nothing like that…"

"Why do you always wear so many necklaces?" Liz commented before Jackie could carry on speaking, "is it like one of those jelly sex bracelet trends?"

"Ah, no," Jackie began, picking at her nails, "I just really like them, I guess."

"How cute," Liz said, resting her head on her fist.

Hiro gestured over with his chin. "Check it out."

Soul looked over his shoulder and noticed Kim walking down the aisle with her head down, tray in hand.  
He grinned and looked over the Liz who was wearing a rather wide smile as he stuck his foot out into the aisle.

"Urgh!" Kim groaned as she tripped over Soul's foot, only to be caught by someone grabbing onto her back.

"Ah!" Soul teased, "Ms. Know-It-All has foiled my wrongs once again."

Maka Albarn stood with furrowed brows as she held onto the back collar of Kim's uniform.

"Are you gonna stand there all damn day?" Liz said angrily, glaring daggers into Maka and Kim as she twirled a strand of her honey blonde hair through her fingers,  
"Take your klutz of a girlfriend and get the hell away!"

"C'mon, Maka," Kim murmured, taking a hard glance at Jackie before they continued down the aisle.

"Psh," Liz said as she watched them walk to their table, "They act as if we shot someone or something…"

"Hey, hey!" Hiro called out, waving his arm, "Now lookie here, it's our man!"

The table glanced up as Kid made his way down the aisle, not stopping once to acknowledge anyone but instead walking over to a table near the trash bins and sitting next to Maka Albarn.

"Didn't think so," Soul chuckled as Liz furrowed her brows.

"Two uptight, controlling freaks," Liz commented, keeping her gaze directed heavily on Maka and Kid, "perfect for each other."

(Maka)

"What the hell is he doing here?" Maka asked, recognizing the blue-haired boy as the one who accompanied Soul in the library.

Tsubaki took a deep breath and grinned.  
"You know each other?" Tsubaki asked. "This is who sent me those tulips last night; he insisted on me coming down to the cafeteria with him today," she said sweetly.

"Huh?" Maka asked, putting her hands on her hips as Kid sat down in the seat next to her.

"Black-Star," Kid said.

The blue haired boy groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"Look, man," he began, "about what happened…"

"Don't worry about it," Kid said, waving him off.

"No, that's the thing," Black-Star demaned, "I can't stop worrying about it."  
"I feel so terrible about what I did, okay? I know it sounds like I'm total overreating about the whole thing, but I want you to know it was a really dick move of me to do," he said sincerely, "I didn't know you'd react that way; I'm real sorry, I wish we hadn't met in that way."

A small grin grew on Kid's lips.  
"You're a real big man for doing that, you know?"

Black-Star smiled.  
"We're cool, right?" he questioned.

Kid nodded and unwrapped a perfectly sliced apple as Maka and Kim dug into two bowls of soup.

"Hey, Maka," a voice said as someone leaned against the back of her chair.  
Goosebumps instantly rose on her arms as she froze.

"What the hell is it now, Soul?" Kid asked, gritting his teeth.

"Such hostility…" Soul remarked with a laugh, "I'd just like to inform Maka on a little something that would be real important to her…"

"Get the fuck away!" Maka said angrily, only causing Soul to laugh once more.

"Man, do you get that bad attitude from your mother?" Soul asked, "Because if so, then it's no wonder why your father left."

Maka whipped out of her chair and stood face to face with Soul.

"I said," she whispered fiercely, "Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Wow," Soul said, "do you have a soft spot when it comes to talking about your father? He seemed pretty excited in telling me all about you."

"What are you getting at?" Maka said, "You don't know my father!"

"Of course I do, he was born and raised here in Death City before he left with your mother," Soul said mischievously, "but then he told me he came back after things 'didn't quite work out."

"You're lying!" she yelled, before causing quite a few heads to turn.

Kid stood quickly and put his hand on Maka's shoulder, "Hey, just take it easy…"

"Kid, you'd definitely know," Soul began, "Can you tell me, what's the name of that new janitor your father hired?"

Kid stared blankly for a second before biting his lip and looking away.

"Is there something you don't want to tell us?" Soul asked, crossing his arms.

"Kid," Maka said, turning around to face him, "What's his name?"

Kid cleared his throat with an uncomfortable stance, "Albarn. Spirit Albarn," he said, refusing to meet Maka's eyes.

Turning on her ankle, Maka brushed against Soul's shoulder before breaking into a run out of the cafeteria, looking up only once to see all eyes on her, including Liz who wore a too-wide grin.

(Soul)

 ***Bam!***

Soul went flying backwards before Black-Star grabbed the collar of his shirt and made a fist inches away from Soul's nose.

"Did you just _punch_ me?!" Soul yelled as a thin stream of blood-trickled from his nose,  
"Hey, Kid, tell your crazy ass friend to chill the fuck out!"

Kid stood, his eyes fixated on Soul in a cold stare before he broke into a run after Maka.

"H-hey!" Soul called out as Black-Star tightened his grip on Soul's shirt.

"Hey, freak!" Soul heard Liz yelling, seeing out of the corner of his eye all the gap-mouthed students looking in his direction, "get your fucking hands off my man before I pop your ass!"

"You've gone from a pretty cool guy to a real shit friend," Black-Star said, not even acknowledging Liz's threats and stiffening his fist with a gleam of something indescribable in his right before…

 ***Bam!***

(Maka)

Out on the balcony, the city seemed to be a beautiful place with it's bright hued street trees and steaming trains.  
Life continued on through the City of Death as if it didn't care at all if something good, bad, or tragic happened because as long as time kept going, then it would just be okay.

"I was hoping you'd come out here," Kid said quietly as he stepped onto the stone balcony, jet black hair ruffling in the chilly breeze.

Maka stood silently as tears welled behind her light brown lashes, threatening to spill drops just as the clouds above seemed moments away from releasing a cold, October drizzle.

"Maka," Kid began softly as he leaned against the railing, trying to catch Maka's eyes, "about your father…"

She scoffed and looked in the other direction. "I hate my father, okay? I really, really hate him."

Kid nodded and looked off, surveying the city with his golden yellow eyes.  
"You can talk to me, you know," he said gently.

Maka parted her lips to speak, but once again a mix of feelings swirled inside her stomach, sobbing uncontrollably and unsure if she also needed to scream or puke.

Kid unbuttoned his sweater as a few rain droplets gently hit the smooth surface of the balcony, creating a patterned of dark, damp stone from where the raindrops hit.

"Let's head inside, I'll let my father know you'll be late for next period," Kid said as he wrapped his sweater around Maka and guided her back inside.

(Soul)

Soul opened his eyes and quickly stood up, only to feel as if he was moving through a thick wall of honey.

 _"Where am I?"_ he thought, looking down to notice his school uniform had been replaced by a dark, pinstripe suit.

The same suit he had worn on the day of his parent's funeral.

Looking around the room lined with corridors that appeared to lead to nowhere, Soul noticed an exact replica of the piano from the music room sitting directly in the center, unscratched and polished but still covered in a thin film of dust.

 _"Hello, hello, Mr. Evans,"_ a squeaky, deep voice said as a tiny, red monster appeared from one of the corridors. " _You were hit so hard you've seem to have blacked out; stars must be floating around that head of yours!"_ he teased.

 _"Blacked out...stars?"_ Soul thought, feeling all fuzzy and somewhat confused.

 _"Now, now Soul,"_ the little monster said, taking a seat in a deep maroon armchair that suddenly appeared out of thin air, "getting into fights and hurting pretty girls' feelings isn't exactly why you're grandmother has sent you here, hm?" he questioned in an annoyingly high voice.

Soul, who all of a sudden was also sitting in a chair similar the demon's, furrowed his brow.

"This is some twisted dream or what?" he asked, reluctant to even acknowledge the monster's question.

"Maybe..." the monster said, raising an eyebrow, "But do we not struggle with our demons day in and day out?"

Soul shook his head in confusion. "Demons?"

The monster stood abruptly and clapped his hands together with a grin.  
"Soul," he said with a tight smile, "why don't you take a seat at the piano and play us a quick tune? This meeting of ours is feeling a bit drear, hm?"

"I'd rather not," Soul said defensively.

The monster cackled as if expecting this reaction from him.  
"Would you like to tell me why?" the monster said, getting uncomfortably close to Soul's face.

Soul stood up from the chair and moved over.  
"What the hell do you mean by 'why'?" he said angrily, gritting his teeth.

The monster wore a fake pouty face.  
"Oh, is it because little Mr. Soul's music won't ever be as good as his brother?" he said with a baby voice.

Soul scoffed and waved him off.  
"If you're trying to upset me, it isn't working," he laughed, pacing the farther edge of the room and peering down the endless hallways with an uninterested stare.

The little monster took a few step closers.  
"Not even a bit upset with how your brother is out there, sitting and laughing away with your family as they feel such pride in having a relative who has achieved so much?" he pressed,  
"Of course, they needed to get away with _you_ and shove _you_ here so _you_ wouldn't be a nuisance to their happiness."

Soul crossed his arms and shook his head.

The monster laughed loudly. "I bet there all sitting in that fancy living room of yours as Wes plays them a wondrous piece he created on his violin," he said, "'Who's that brother of yours? _Saul_?'" he said, imitating his grandmothers voice in a creepy fashion.

Soul's eyes widen. "What the hell even are you?"

"Oh, poor Soul, you think everyone expects you to be just like your brother, always thinking all they do is compare him to little you…" the monster said.

 _"They do!"_ Soul shouted.

The monster clicked his tongue. "But you see, the truth is that _you_ have made all this comparing and expecting aspect up in your own tiny mind…," he said,  
" _You_ expect them to compare you to your brother because _you_ are just so obsessed with wanting to be heard yet _you_ don't even make a noise…"

Soul gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"At least not the noise you wish you could be making, no, you want to be heard in a different way because you never believe that you could be heard the way you wish to be heard…"

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Soul yelled, clearly frustrated.

"No, you have to act out," the monster said, unaware of Soul's confusion, "you have to bring others down in order to bring you up…"

"Who are you!? Soul demanded, taking a defensive stance as the monster wandered close.

"You don't think they deserve happiness and praise,"  
"Oh, Miss Grade A student who has perfect marks!"  
"Oh, Mr. Blue Haired Freak who's found a place to belong!"  
"Oh, Mr. Yellow Eyed Boy who's found someone to love!"  
The demon cackled fiercely,  
"You're just jealous of their happiness…wanting to use their demons to drag them down, taking their happiness in result, but that doesn't _really_ make you feel better, does it?"

 _"Who the fuck are you!"_ Soul screamed the loudest he could, his ears burning red in anger.

The monster suddenly appeared a mere millimeters from Soul's face as he wore a twisted grin.  
 _"I'm your demons."_

(Maka)

The deserted hallways of Shibusen smelled slightly like damp rubber and lemon cleaning product.  
Streams of rain ran down the cool glass of the long windows lining the small, unused classroom where Maka and Kid sat in silence, the only sound being the tick of a wall clock that hung above the door, displaying the incorrect time inside it's dusty face.

"My mama never wanted me," she said quietly, gripping a damp, balled-up tissue in her hand as Kid's sweater hung loosely around her shoulders.

Kid picked at a frayed edge of his sleeve and slowly nodded.

"She never wanted kids," Maka began, "she loved to work and travel and explore; she spent her whole life getting perfect marks and sacrificed everything to get her dream job…"  
"When she finally got it, she thought she could be free, no longer strapped down to responsibilities and such, but then she had _me_."

"I'm sure your mother loves you Maka," Kid said surely, looking Maka hard in the eyes.

She shook her head and focused on the scuff marks of her school shoes.  
"I remember as a little girl, I would wake up and hear her crying in her bedroom," she said barely above a whisper,  
"When I asked her what was wrong, she would tell me that men were awful people, and that I should never settle for anyone, but work hard young so I could spread my wings when I grew older…"

"Your father…" Kid began, unsure of how to ask why exactly Maka's father was such a horrible person.

Maka choked back tears and shook her head.

"He told my mama that he loved her; he said the same thing to me, too," she said,  
"But then at night he would get drunk and 'love' other women, and if they had kids, he would tell them that they were just the sweetest little kid's he's ever seen…"

Kid nodded.

"I'm so afraid to end up like my mother, Kid," Maka began, "I don't want to live life with a huge regret hanging over my head, I just…I just want to work hard and do what my mother has always wanted to do; _be free,_ " she sobbed.

"I know how you feel," Kid said, taking Maka's hand and giving it a hard squeeze.

"Kid," Maka said as tears ran down her cheeks," you're crying, too," she giggled as she wiped a drop from his eye causing him to let out a light laugh.

"You're mother loves you, Maka," Kid said once again.  
"She's upset with how things turned out for her, but I know she wants you to be able to live your dreams and _you will,_ " he said, "A mother always wants their child to exceed what they've accomplished.

 _"I wish I could believe that,"_ Maka thought silently to herself as she held Kid's gaze.

"I wish I could make my father proud like you will make your mother proud," he said sadly, breaking eye contact and letting go of her hand, deciding to stare at his rings instead.

"You will," Maka began, "You're smart, and-"

 _"Bullshit,"_ he whispered angrily, twisting the rings around his finger, "I'm a mess, Maka."

"That's not true," he said, shaking his head.  
"He thinks I'm going to turn out just like my brother; I can't begin to tell you how many doctors, psychologists, and therapists he's sent me to."

"But, why?" she questioned. "You're perfectly okay!" she said.

Kid laughed. "Me? Okay?"

"Maka, did you not see me have that huge meltdown in the library? You should see me at my worst, when I can't control myself because I can't control what's around me…"

"Kid…" Maka said softly.

"Forget I said anything," he said sharply.

 _"No, listen to me,"_ Maka pleaded, grasping Kid's hand, "You're not like your brother, Kid!"

 _"How would you know?_ " he said, nearly yelling with a wild look in his eye, " _you barely know me! Just this mask I wear so I don't scare anyone away!"_

Maka squeezed his hand. "Because you care!" she said.

"Because you care about Liz and I know you love her, Kid, because you can feel for other people!"  
"Just having you cry her for me today shows that you aren't the unfeeling, cold-hearted person your brother was!" she said firmly.

Kid stared at her deeply, his mouth half-open in shock.  
He looked away and nodded slowly, "Thank you for believing I'm not crazy, Maka."

Maka wrapped her arms around Kid and smiled.  
 _"Thank you for believing in me, Kid."_

(Soul)

Soul's eyes fluttered open to only be greeted by the blinding, greenish light being emitted from the ceilings lights of the school's infirmary.  
He squeezed his eyes shut as he forced himself to sit up, feeling two pieces of tissue paper rolled up and stuck inside his nostrils.

"Urgh," he groaned, feeling a dull pain in his head as the sound of heels clicked against the pristine, white tile floor.

"Tsk, tsk," a woman said as she hovered over Soul with a smirk, "it seems somebody is finally coming around…"

Soul furrowed his brows as he tried to comprehend what was happening and why he was in the infirmary and why the hell the demons in his head wanted him to play him a tune on his imaginary piano.

 _"It's to early in the week to be dealing with this,"_ Soul thought wearily.

"You were hit pretty hard," the nurse said as she plucked the tissues from Soul's nose,  
"but luckily you don't have any conclusions, just those two nasty bruises, but they'll fade," she said breathlessly, as if she had done this a billion times before.  
"Hey, at least your nose isn't broken!"

Soul eyes shot open and the taste of disgust filled his mouth.  
Black-Star had beaten in ass in front of the whole cafeteria. _And_ Liz.  
 _"Literal shit,"_ he thought angrily as he pushed himself off the bed.

"Woah, you may want to take it easy," the nurse said, "I assume you aren't that eager to return to your classes, especially since you've been excused from them for the rest of the day."

"So I can go home?" Soul asked distastefully, eyeing the nurse's name tag. _Medusa_.

The nurse let out a soft chuckle, noticing Soul's gaze. "My mother was a big fan of Greek mythology," she explained as she disposed of the bloody tissue.  
"Anyways, you can go home after you stop by Headmaster Death's office; he's requested you."

"Oh great," Soul thought unenthusiastically as he pushed open the door to the infirmary after giving a quick thanks to the nurse.

 _"Nice lady,"_ he thought as he walked through the halls, hoping no one noticed him from inside the classrooms.

A sudden mix of worries filled his chest as the idea of how much trouble he could get into clouded his head.  
 _"What if Black-Star told Lord Death about the prank I pulled on his son? What if he told him about how I stole his son's girlfriend, and how that said girlfriend is actually not as 'appropriate' as she seemed…"  
"What if I get me and Liz kicked out of this hell hole?"_

Standing outside Death's door, Soul noticed a few splotches of blood staining his white polo and also considered the fact that he ditched his required school sweater somewhere buried in his locker.  
Before deciding to run and grab his sweater to hide the blood stains, the door to Headmaster Death's room swung open.

"Hey," Black-Star said, glaring at Soul's bruised face, "Headmaster is waiting for you."

A large array of words that Soul wished to shout at Black-Star filled his head as he watched the blue headed boy take a seat on the wooden bench that sat outside of Death office.

"Mr. Evans?" a voice called from inside, snapping Soul's attention back to the fact that he had to talk to the father of the boy who's life he completely fucked over.  
Not to mention this father was extremely powerful, rich, and most likely had his grandmother's number written down somewhere.

Soul entered the office, expecting someone with the last name of "Death" to have their room lined with guillotine arches, but instead this was just a simple office which was lined with crowded, dark wood bookcases instead of guillotines.

"Please, take a seat," Headmaster Death said with a somewhat unnerving straight faced stare.

"Thank you, sir," Soul said before taking a seat on one of the chairs in front of Death's messy desk which was filled with a number of stacked files and folders.

"It's quite a mess, isn't it?" Death chuckled, "My son would have a fit if he saw this office."

Soul smiled, feeling a tightness grow in his chest, especially when Death mentioned his son.

They sat for a few moments in an awkward silence as Headmaster Death looked slightly to the left of Soul with a blank expression.

 _"Did this dude just fall asleep asleep?"_ Soul thought, displaying a confused expression .

"Ahem…" Headmaster Death began as Soul awaited for the tirade of whatever it was that Death was going to use to punish Soul.

Soul gripped the edge of his seat and winced, expecting the worst.

"So, how ya feeling? Your head doesn't hurt too bad does it?" Death suddenly bursted out in an overly cheery fashion,  
"I'm really sorry this whole ordeal occurred, and I assure you that we're gonna work everything out in a completely appropriate fashion."

Soul raised an eyebrow.  
"Wait," he began, "you're not punishing me?"

Headmaster Death chuckled loudly.  
"No, of course not!" he said happily, "unless you did something horrible like, let's say, bullied my son into oblivion or brought a young girl to tears…"

Soul froze with his mouth half-opened in shock.

"Aha!" Death teased, "Got you!"

"Haha, right…" Soul said a little too innocently.  
"So, you just called me in here to ask if I was feeling okay?"

"Of course!" Death said, "A Headmaster who doesn't care about his students doesn't seem like too good of a Headmaster at all!"

Soul nodded in response.

"Now, I'm sure you'd like to go home and rest, so thanks for stopping bye! Have a wonderful day!" Headmaster Death cheered as Soul slowly rose from his seat with his eyes never leaving Death's blank stare.

 _"What a nut-job,"_ Soul thought as walked over to the door,  
 _"Just like his son."_

"Oh, and Soul?" Headmaster Death asked before Soul could open the door.

"Yes, sir?" Soul asked as he gripped the doorknob tightly, wanting to get out of this room more than he wanted to pound Black-Star's face in.  
And trust me, he _really_ wanted to pound Black-Stars face in.

"Do you believe that every individual person has a soul?" Death asked bluntly.

"I guess so, sir," he answered unsurely.

"Well I do believe that very much," Death began,  
"I feel our souls hold the truth of who we really are, but sometimes we have a hard time unlocking that aspect of ourselves because we're afraid of what power we hold."

Soul nodded, bored with this hogwash that Death was going on about.

"I want you to try really hard, Soul, to unlock that part of you," he said,  
"Because he greatest of our passions and feelings are within there, waiting to be let into the world," Death said with that blank stare of his with a surprisingly more serious tone to his voice.

"Don't be afraid to let your passions and feelings run wild."

"I will try my best, sir," Soul said, "May I be dismissed?" he asked with an unexpected edge to his voice.

Death cleared his throat. "You may, Mr. Evans."

Soul stepped into the hallway as Black-Star sat with his face buried in his hands, his blue-hair sticking up more than usual.

The names and action Soul wished to shout and do came rushing back as he clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

"You didn't snitch," Soul suddenly blurted out, surprised he didn't grab that little sucker by neck.

Black-Star looked up with an uncaring expression plastered on his face.  
"Make that a note in that puny head of yours," Black-Star said, "that cool guys don't snitch on bros."

 _To be continued…_

Hey guys...The 'Halloween Special' should be up around if not on Halloween day. In the meantime, I'll be trying to cleanup my other chapters :P  
Anyways, thanks for reading and have a great October :)


	6. Chapter 6: Bullets and Combat Boots

Happy Halloween, guys...don't let the clowns bite ;p

Chapter 6: _Candy Corn For the Trick-or-Treaters Because Life Is Full of Sweet Disappointment_

Despite Halloween being on a Monday, students crowded around mirrors with cases of face paint and and plastic, glow-in-dark vampire hangs, planning to spend their night roaming the dark, chilly streets of Death City as they terrorized and played pranks on the general public.  
Nothing says Halloween to a sixteen-year old other than a few cans of aerosol spray-paint and clown masks.  
Oh, and a couple Snickers bars, too.

(Maka)

"I hope you're not planning to spend Halloween cooped up in here with your school work,' Kid said as he stood in the library with a handful of books from his recent organizing session.

Maka peered over the edge of her laptop and ceased her typing with a small, involuntary smile.  
"You know me," she laughed.

Kid plopped down the stack of books and pulled out a chair.  
"Look, I know this isn't really going to be your 'thing'..." Kid began as he sat, "But I really need you to come with me somewhere tonight."

"What's going on?" Maka asked as she shut her laptop.

"So there's this little thing going on, but don't worry, you don't have to stay for long if you don't want to..." Kid said

"Oh…" Maka said, "Why do you need me to be there?"

Kid blushed and looked away, deciding instead to focus on one of the nearby shelves he had recently dusted.  
"I can't really tell you, I'm afraid it may...shock you?" he said.

Maka laughed. "You can tell me anything, Kid; I promise I won't be mad."

He grinned and met her eyes.  
"It's about a girl; I've been thinking about this for a while..." he began, "It's something I really need to do."

Maka blushed and smiled wide.  
"Alright, I'll come for a bit" she shrugged, "What time?"

"Around 8:00," Kid said beaming, standing up and picking up his stack of novels.  
"I'll see you tonight!' he called out as he practically skipped out of Maka's view.

Maka shook her head and bit her lip, trying her best to wipe the large, goofy grin off her face as she pulled open her laptop.

She wanted to deny, maybe think that Kid was ditched by his other friends or that maybe he just didn't have anything better to do.  
Maybe he felt bad for his friend who obsessed over her studies almost as much as he obsessed over cleaning (well, maybe not _that_ obsessed); maybe he thought he was doing her a favor.

However, deep down, Maka Albarn hoped something else would happen tonight,  
and what made her stomach churn the most was the fact that maybe she _did_ want _that_ to be true.

 _Maybe she was a bit afraid of 'that'._

(Soul)

The setting sun casted deep purple shadows across the cement ground, illuminating discarded Dr. Pepper cans and broken beer bottles  
The dark, grungy alleyway of a more urban area in Death City sat abandoned except for a group of Shibusen students passing through at a leisurely pace.

"Jackie, you seem so tense," Liz said nonchalantly, plucking two cigarettes from her back pocket before offering one to her, "I promise, you won't regret going."

"Oh, uh, thanks…" Jackie said nervously as she took the cigarette from Liz despite the fact she didn't smoke.

Liz pulled out a lighter and lit both cigarettes as she walked, crunching on broken glass with a pair of high cowboy boots to complete her rather revealing Halloween costume.  
"I've been sneaking out for this party since I was around thirteen," Liz laughed, "It never fails to be one hell of a night."

"I bet each time you got so blacked-out drunk that you didn't even remember what happened," Soul called out as he carried a _Scream_ mask in one of his hands.

"That's what makes it such a great night," Liz joked before taking a huge puff of her cigarette.

Jackie did the same but ended up in a fit of coughs, the smoke leaving a burning sensation in her throat.  
"I don't know Liz," she said as she choked on the fumes, "this whole outfit and partying isn't really my thing…"

"You don't like the costume I picked out for you?" Liz said in a wistful tone, looking over at Jackie's skimpy, red devil costume.

"I don't know," Jackie said as she smoothed her hands over her outfit, "These shorts barely cover my ass and this devil-horn headband hurts my head."

"Don't worry about it," Soul said uninterestedly as he strode down the alleyway, "You look hot as hell."  
Jackie suddenly giggled as her cheeks burned red.

"Trust me, tonight you can pick up a real man who isn't a douche like Hiro; that fucker is probably already there getting wasted beyond comprehension," Liz laughed.  
She took a long puff of her cigarette,  
"Tonight is your night to be whoever you want to be," Liz said, "And tonight, you are the confident little devil who isn't afraid to find a _real_ man!"

Jackie laughed. "Like I'm gonna find a real man at this bumping teen party where everyone is going to be flat-out drunk."

Liz shook her head. "Oh, you'll find someone, and you better not be afraid to assert yourself; I'm having none of that innocent, shy, angel-ass crap from you tonight," Liz joked as Jackie chuckled softly.

"Please," Soul pleaded in a joking fashion as he slipped on his mask, "I don't care who it is, just find a man better than Hiro and you'll be real well off."

Jackie smiled wide as she took a puff of her cigarette, now used to the feeling.  
"You're right," she giggled with a new type of fire in her eyes, "Tonight, I'm going to get the man I want and have a hell of a good time!"

Soul chuckled behind his mask as they exited the alleyway and rounded the corner to a run-down, two-story apartment where flashing violet lights spilled from the windows.

Liz took one last puff of her cigarette before throwing it on the apartment's steps and smothering out the flames with her boot.  
She smiled widely to Jackie as she opened the apartment door and gestured inside,  
"Here's to a night of drinking, sex, and being someone else. _May God bless our souls_."

(Maka)

Discarded items of clothing laid crumbled at the head of Maka's closet as a small, portable heater hummed loudly over the _Green Day_ music playing from her open laptop.

" _..._ _Thought therefore I was well I can't really figure it out...  
I sit alone with my thoughts and prayers...  
Scream out my memories as if I was never there..."_

"You really agreed to go?" Tsubaki asked stunned as she stood in the dorm room wearing a ninja style costume with a star pinned to her shoulder.  
Maka nodded as she pulled on her new pair of cherry colored _Doc Martens_.

Tsubaki chuckled softly.  
"But it's a school night and I'm pretty sure Professor 'Franken' Stein didn't let you off the hook…What's up?" she asked

"Can I tell you something Tsubaki, even if it's really dumb…" Maka asked.

"Anything," Tsubaki said with a small smile as she took a seat in her desk chair, "Go ahead."

" _...Standing at the edge of the world…  
It's giving me the chills…"_

Maka plopped down on her bed with a sigh. _  
_"I'm going because Kid invited me," Maka said quietly, as if unsure of her words, "he said there's something really important he needs to do…"

Tsubaki laughed. "Kid invited you? He doesn't really seem like the party type…"

"He is," Maka said bluntly, "Or at least he's been to a million parties before; I'm surprised his father hasn't found out about it…"

"What's so important that he needed to drag you along with?" Tsubaki wondered, fiddling with her long, jet-black ponytail.

"That's the thing," Maka said, sitting straight up in her bed, "He says it's about a girl, but he refused to tell me anything else. He said it may be a 'shock' to me…"

" _...Looking down the edge of the world…  
Lost in a tange, it's freaking me out…  
Burning lights and blackouts…"_

Tsubaki allowed a grin to appear on her lips.  
"I see," she giggled.

"Tsubaki, I don't know what to do!" Maka said she jumped off her bed and waved her arms, "I've never been in this situation before! I've never…  
Agh! This is just so ridiculous!"

"Maka," Tsubaki said calmly, "don't be so fraught over it…"

"You don't understand," Maka sighed, "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid in high school!"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Tsubaki said, "This is just what high school is about, Maka.  
You can't control everything that happens and everything you feel; you just have to learn to cope with what is thrown at you; learn what you like, what you don't like, and what you can handle."

Maka shrugged.

Kid seems like such a sweet guy; he's smart, kind, and a gentleman…" Tsubaki said, holding her Maka's gaze.

Maka smiled lightly and nodded. "I know."

Tsubaki stood up and gave Maka a tight squeeze.  
"Don't be afraid of how you feel because it's new or different," she said.

"Thanks Tsubaki, you're right," Maka said.  
"I should probably go meet up with Kid, have fun at the movies with Black-Star!" Maka said cheerfully, shocked at herself with how excited she was for a _teen party._

Tsubaki nodded as Maka grabbed a _Scream_ mask off her dresser.  
Pulling the mask over her head, Maka allowed a huge smile to break out.

" _Here to a night of being scared shitless by something bigger than clowns or demons,  
But maybe I'm ready for a little thrill."_

(Soul)

 _"...And I've been doing just fine_  
 _Gotta gotta be down_  
 _Because I want it all..."_

Soul lounged against the peeling wallpaper of the living room as girl's pranced around in nothing but lingerie and animal ears as bulky teenage boys in letter jackets chased after them.

He sighed, red plastic cup in hand, as he watched water droplets drip from the cracks in the ceiling over the blaring noise and strobing lights.  
After a few too many shots and pieces of candy corn, Soul was ready for the cops to break this shit-fest up before his skull literally split open.

 _"...It started out with a kiss_  
 _How did it end up like this_  
 _It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss..."_

Jackie stumbled her way out of the crowd of dancing bodies and sloshing beer, heading over with eyes remaining red and dull.

"Soul," she giggled, placing a shaky hand on his shoulder, "Soul, do you reeeeally think I look hot as hell tonight, hm?" she slurred, wobbling on her red heels.

"Yeah, yeah I do," Soul said as he pressed against his forehead, wishing for some peace and quiet.

She laughed. "Then I'm going to go get what I reeeeally want tonight, and I don't give a shit about anything else!"

Soul nodded and pushed off against the wall. "Good for you Jackie; I'm just gonna head over to the bathroom-"

Jackie grabbed the back of his head, forcing his mask off and pulling him into a kiss before he pushed her back, nearly knocking her to the ground as she was already at a loss for balance herself.

"Jackie, what the fuck?" Soul said, wiping the drool from his lip. "How many drinks did you have?"

"Just enough to give me the confidence I need," she slurred before falling over, landing with a soft "oomph!" as she hit the stained carpet.

 _"...Now I'm falling asleep_  
 _And she's calling a cab_  
 _While he's having a smoke_  
 _And she's taking a drag..."_

"What the hell is this?!" Liz said as she stood barefoot in the door's frame, as drunk if not more than Jackie.

"Liz, it was an accident!" Soul began, "She's fucking wasted, don't you see her?!" he said, motioning toward Jackie.

"He wants me, Liz!" Jackie said angrily, forcing herself to turn and meet Liz's eyes, "He just doesn't want to hurt your sorry ass because you'll tell the Headmaster's son about all this shit!"

Liz glared at him. "You're just like all the other rich little boys! Thinking you can get whatever you want!" she screamed.

Soul's jaw dropped.  
"What do you mean?" He said, stunned, "I'm not rich! I work with Black-Star cleaning the boy's locker room every weekend!"

"Liar!" she slurred. "Kid thought you were familiar from somewhere, that rich violinist boy's brother...that's you!"

"She just wanted your money!" Jackie said suddenly, forcing herself to stand up as she held the wall for support, "That's all she wants; she's a fucking money whore!"

"You want to say that again, you little bitch?" Liz shrieked as she stomped over and pinned Jackie to the wall.

"Enough! I'm not handling another drunk bitch fit!" Soul said as he forced the two apart.  
Liz hit the opposite wall and grunted.

 _"...Now they're going to bed_  
 _And my stomach is sick..."_

"And I'm not handling another crappy boyfriend who only cares about himself!" Liz screamed before taking off down the hall.

Jackie clung to his sleeve. "Oh Soul, you can do so much better than her," she slurred before Soul shrugged her off and ran off after Liz.

"Liz!" he called out desperately only to have his voice drowned out by the blaring noise.  
He forced his way into the crowd of people, searching frantically for her as the lights flashed and people cheered loudly, raising their drinks.  
" _Fucking shit..._ " he thought angrily, replaying the whole ordeal in his head.

 _"...But she's touching his chest_  
 _Now, he takes off her dress_  
 _Now, let me go..."_

Soul froze.  
" _My money,"_ he suddenly thought, as if something in his mind clicked.  
" _Liz never loved Kid, she just dated him because she could use him to get somewhere…"  
_

 _"I just can't look its killing me_  
 _And taking control..."_

He shook his head.  
 _How Liz wanted to beat him up when they first met.  
How Liz suddenly became his friend.  
How Liz started dating him so soon even though he was younger.  
How Liz just so easily dumped Kid as if he was nothing.  
How Liz just so easily hurts everyone as if they are all nothing._

 _"...Jealousy, turning saints into the sea_  
 _Swimming through sick lullabies_  
 _Choking on your alibis..."_

He forced on his Scream mask before stomping through this crowd to the opposite side of the room, praying for some peace when he noticed the unlocked doors to an unoccupied balcony.

 _"...But it's just the price I pay_  
 _Destiny is calling me_  
 _Open up my eager eyes_  
 _Cause I'm Mr Brightside..."_

Soul stepped out into the cool night and put his drink down on white plastic lawn table before dulling the noise of the indoor party by slamming the balcony door shut.

He leaned against the metal railing and shook his head on confusion.  
" _Liz never loved me,_ " Soul thought deeply with furrowed brows, " _She just dated me because she could use me to get out of this town…"_

(Maka)

 _"...Hello there the angel from my nightmare_  
 _The shadow in the background of the morgue_  
 _The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley..."_

"Do you insist on keeping that mask on?" Kid teased as he lead Maka into the apartment's living room where groups of teenagers danced away.

Maka nodded. " _God forbid anyone sees me here…_ " she thought.  
"This doesn't really sound like the 'small' Halloween party you described to me," Maka said as she followed Kid through the crowd, squeezing her way past horny couples and teenage boys chugging bottles of who-knows-what.

"Sorry," Kid yelled out above the music, "It seemed a lot smaller last year; I promise you won't have to stay long!"

Maka nodded once again before they stopped in a small, dimly lit kitchen that was empty except for two teenagers making out against the fridge.

"Wait here for a few minutes," Kid said, handing Maka a cup before taking one from himself.

"Hold on," Maka said from behind her mask as she grabbed Kid's wrist, "What's going on here? Why did you take me here?"

"I told you," Kid said.

Maka let go of his wrist, slipping off her mask and gave Kid a hard stare.  
"All you said was that it was about a girl…"

"Maka," Kid said slowly, tilting his cup and watching the alcohol slosh around,  
"You...you wouldn't understand. You're such a complex thinker, not in a bad way, I mean…"

Maka studied him carefully in his white collar and black blazer, completely out of place amongst all the other party-goers.  
Tonight, Kid was different because he was the same. He was always in his immaculate, preppy clothes with his hair neatly combed.  
He wasn't dressed up or pretending to be anyone else, he never changed himself, not even on Halloween because he only did what he knew, and what he didn't know scared him.  
He had to be in control. He had to stay the same Kid everyday because who would he be if he wasn't 'Kid'?

Maka bit her lip.  
 _He may seem the same because he wears his mask every day._

Maka leaned in and kissed Kid as gently as she could while shouts and laughter of the other teenagers drowned out her thoughts into the noise.

 _"...We can live like Jack and Sally if we want_  
 _Where you can always find me_  
 _And we'll have Halloween on Christmas..."_

Kid looked away and blushed after pulling away.  
"Maka," he stuttered, meeting her eyes, "I see why you would've seen it this way…"

She clutched her mask. "What do you mean?"

"Liz," he said breathlessly as he took a few steps back, shaking his head. "I'm here for Liz."

 _"...And in the night we'll wish this never ends_  
 _We'll wish this never ends..."_

"Liz?!" Maka said angrily.

"I have to tell her I'm sorry; I need her back!" he said with a sense of determination before he ran off, leaving Maka standing in the kitchen alone bar the two teenagers who were so absorbed in swapping spit that they barely noticed what was happening.

 _"...This sick strange darkness_  
 _Comes creeping on so haunting every time_  
 _And as I stared I counted..."_

Maka stared down at her drink as a few tear drops dripped in, focusing on the little ripples the they made.  
The music played on and on as all the other teenagers danced away, lost in their own little wonderland of alcohol and sex.  
She left her drink untouched on the counter before slipping on her Scream mask, stepping out in the living room with a plan to _get the hell out of here_ until she saw Kid and Liz lip locked in her path to the door.

She scowled in disgust before noticing an unlocked balcony on the opposite wall.

 _"...The Webs from all the spiders_  
 _Catching things and eating their insides_  
 _Like indecision to call you_  
 _And hear your voice of treason_  
 _Will you come home and stop the pain tonight..."_

(Soul)

"Mind if I join you out here?" a muffled voice said as a wave of loud music spilled from the balcony door before it was shut once again.

"If I said yes, would you go?" Soul said from behind his mask.

"No," the feminine voice said bluntly as she, also wearing a _Scream_ mask, joined him against the railing.

"Didn't think so," Soul said as he checked her out, taking in her small chest and long legs.

"Men are such pigs," she said suddenly, noticing his stare.

Soul shook his head and laughed. "After tonight, I've got a few remarks about women…"

A couple moments of silence passed bar the muffled cheers and music coming from the opposite side of the balcony door.  
A light breeze blew through the alleyway that the apartment building balcony was overlooking, causing pieces of trash and rotting leaves to scuttle along.

"So why are you out here instead of in there?" the girl asked, clutching her arms from the wind as Soul lit a cigarette.

He shook his head, taking a long puff. "Sometimes you think you know someone, but then you realize you really don't…"

She nodded. "I understand more than you think."

"Is that why you're out here?" he asked.

"It's kind of complicated," she shrugged.

"Most things in life are," he said back, taking another puff of his cigarette as soft sobs came from behind the girl's mask.

"I'm just such a fucking idiot," she cried.

"And that's because...?" Soul asked carelessly as he lazily leaned against the railing, studying the starless night sky.

"I made an ass of myself to someone I really care about," she said.  
"This guy I like… I thought he wanted to tell me he loved me tonight," the girl began, "but it turns out he's just here for his shitty ex."

"Well, I say you stand up for yourself and tell that fucker exactly how you feel," he said.

"It's not his fault," she said, "he really cares about her; I'm just his lame friend."  
"I'm a dumbass for thinking he had any feelings for me; I mean, who could?"

" _We accept the love we think we deserve,_ " Soul chuckled.

The girl giggled slightly, suddenly sounding a bit happier. "You've seen _Perks of Being a Wallflower_?"

"I've read it," Soul said slightly embarrassed, "just something for school or whatever…"

"I love that book," she said breathlessly with a hint of sadness remaning in her voice as she shivered in the wind.

Soul sighed before pulling off his black hoodie, leaving him in nothing but a long-sleeved black t-shirt.

"Here," he said, holding out the hoodie out to her, "Just take it; it won't cost me anything to get a new one."  
"Don't let anyone take advantage of you," Soul said suddenly, slightly shocked he was talking to this random girl at all as she pulled on his sweater,  
"I know you probably don't want life advice from the dude who just checked out your ass a few moments ago, but these past few months I've just been a complete fucking idiot myself."

The masked girl nodded.

"I see it now, you know?" he said.  
"There's people who genuinely care about you; people who don't turn on you even if you've been a complete idiot and know when you need a good punch in the face."  
Soul shook his head.  
"Then there's fake people. People who have to turn everyone else against you because everyone else realized what a shit-storm they are. They get inside your head and use you until you finally realize yourself what they are, " he said, gritting his teeth, "and then they walk away without giving a fuck."

She nodded once again.  
"I don't think he's a fake person," she said, "I think _he_ just hasn't realized what a fake bitch his ex-girlfriend really his."

"Then he's the idiot," Soul said finally.  
He smothered out his cigarette and flicked it into the alley, hearing the soft _*pat!*_ as it hit the pavement below.  
"I guess, I'll see you around, maybe" he shrugged, "Nice boots, by the way."

The girl looked down at her cherry red Doc Martens and slightly shuffled her feet as Soul pulled open the balcony door.

"Thanks," she murmured with a hint of a smile as the music from inside poured out into the night.  
" _Kind of a cool guy..."_ she thought to herself.

(Soul)

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" Soul asked after exiting the balcony, standing amidst the crowd of wasted teenagers that reeked of booze.

Hiro steadied himself against a nearby table that was covered in empty plastic cups and a few candy wrappers.  
"Near the bedrooms," Hiro stuttered, pointing towards the hallway were Jackie had collapsed not too long ago.

Soul nodded, heading off in the direction as he pushed his way through the crowd off people, almost tripping over some jock who was passed out on the floor.

"Soul," Liz said stunned as she stood in the hallway, wearing her red crop-top on backwards.  
A bedroom door a few paces behind her stood with its door slightly ajar.

"You know what, Liz-" Soul began as Kid stepped out into the hallway with his white polo shirt sloppily buttoned up, blazer slung over his shoulder.

Soul locked eyes with him as he took in his ruffled black hair and the few bruises that spotted his neck. _His fly was undone._

"Well this is real fucking nice," Soul said, ripping off his mask and throwing it on the floor in anger.  
He stormed over and grabbed Kid by the neck, slamming him against the wall.

"And you say girl's are the catty ones," Liz laughed as she idly crossed her arms.  
"Lay a hand on him and he'll have you thrown out of the school."

Soul laughed while Kid held a sly grin on his face, his pale face flushed red from all the drinking.  
"Looks like you've put quite a bit of bruises and scratches on him yourself," Soul said as he tightened his grasp on Kid's neck.

"No wonder your family shipped you off to Shibusen," Kid said sweetly, his yellow eyes trained on crimson, "You're an unstable spoiled piece of shit."

"You should be talking," Soul laughed as Kid gritted his teeth and shoved Soul off him.

" _What the fuck did you say?_ " Kid yelled, his face turning a brighter shade of red.

"Someone's sensitive," Soul said, throwing his hands in the air.  
"What? You don't think I know about you?" he laughed. "Your little princess told me all about it; everyone knows. You're nuts"

" _I AM NOT INSANE!_ " Kid screamed as he pulled a pistol from his back pocket, training it on Soul.

"Kid, where did you get that?!" Liz shrieked, her tanned skin fading to a paler shade.

"You're fucked up," Soul said backing up a steps, "You're completely out-of-control."

"No," Kid said angrily clutching the pistol, " _I have all the control_."  
Kid squeezed the trigger.  
Soul took another quick step back, tripping backwards over his _Scream_ mask as a bullet zoomed over his head.

 _*smash!*_

The sound of a window's glass pane shattering caused an uproar in the party as screams rang out, a major crowd rushing to the door.  
Soul leapt up and ran off into the chaos hoping Kid wouldn't chase after him.  
Liz was nowhere to be seen, leaving Soul's _Scream_ mask alone in the hallway, discarded at the foot of a boy who had just taken off a mask of his own.

(Maka)

Maka stepped into the now deserted living bar a drunk jock who laid propped up against the table half-asleep.  
Even from the outside, she had heard the explosion of glass and noticed the shards of broken glass that stuck into the stained carpet.  
She pulled off her mask, revealing her face twisted in confusion.

Kid shuffled into the living room, throwing his arms around her in a fit of tears.  
"Oh, Maka," he cried, "I...I'm a monster. Unfit to even be standing here at this very moment. I'm a sorry excuse of man..I, I…"

Maka threw him off of her, resulting in her back collision with a near-empty bookshelf that stood against the wall, holding a few crappy romance novels and thick dictionary.

"Maka?" Kid said, clutching his arms as tears rolled down his reddened cheeks.

"Why did you bring me here?" Maka asked finally, leaning up against the bookshelf.

Kid sobbed. "You- you're the only person who understands me," he began, "If she didn't want me back, I would've needed you to calm me down. I don't know what I would've done, I don't know…"

Maka's eyes trailed down his oddly buttoned shirt and caught sight of a handle sticking out from the waistline of his slacks.

" _A pistol,"_ she thought, her emerald eyes dilating in fear.

Kid grabbed one of her wrists and squeezed it, noticing her stare.  
"I didn't mean to use it," he said, choking on tears, "I just couldn't calm down; I needed to be in control," he said as every word turned into more of a fierce whisper rather than a cry.

He narrowed his eyes. "Maka?" he said, tightening his grip on her wrist.

She slowly reached up and felt the frayed edges of the heavy dictionary, grabbing the book but never breaking eye contact with Kid.

"Maka, _it's just me,_ " he said before Maka swung the book, knocking him straight in his head and causing him to stumble and fall backwards on the floor.

Police lights suddenly flashed through the windows and the sounds of stomping feet sounded on the floor beneath.

" _Fuck,"_ Maka thought as she pulled back on her Scream mask and ran back onto the balcony.  
There, she heaved herself to sit on the railing and reached out to a gutter line hooked on to the outside wall.  
After sliding down with nothing more than a scrape from the brick wall, she spun on her heel and beelined down the alleyway, clutching onto the stranger's black hoodie that billowed in the wind as she ran off.

The sound of the rubber soles of her boots against the pavement echoed through the alleyway, blending in with the noise of barking dogs and police sirens as she just prayed that Kid was hit hard enough to forget she was even there in the first place…

" _Here's to the Halloween of 2016…"_ Maka thought sarcastically as she darted through the darkness of Halloween night...

 _To be continued..._

Woah, where did I even go with this? Haha, sorry if this story is literal crap and has 9999+ errors, I don't even know what I'm doing... :p  
Anyway, just a huge thanks to the guys that actually enjoy this story, you guys really inspire me to keep writing. I think I've said that quite a few times before, but I really mean it; thanks guys :D


	7. Chapter 7: Wildflowers and Ice Bags

***Important A/N***: Hey guys...Happy November... I wrote this short 'one-shot' kind of backstory to Soul before he came to Shibusen and I might begin referencing his life before Shibusen in this story...so I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up...you can find it under my stories... :)

Chapter 7:

(Maka)

" _Maka, did you not see me have that huge meltdown in the library? You should see me at my worst, when I can't control myself because I can't control what's around me…" he had said to her that one day,_ _staring at her intently with those sad golden eyes._

 _She could just imagine those sad eyes staring up as those cops busted into the apartment building, eyeing him lying on the floor near the shattered glass with a pistol tucked into his pants.  
He wasn't a monster, was he? The boy who had danced with her all Homecoming night and talked with her all day on the school balcony as they watched day turn to night._

" _Maka, it's just me... " he had pleaded to her yesterday night, gripping her wrist with impossible force for such a lanky teenager.  
_ " _Maka…?"_

"Maka? Hey, Maka, are you listening?" a voice called out as a hand rested on Maka's shoulder, causing her to nearly leap out of her chair and almost spill her untouched cup of chamomile tea that had long gone cold.

"Tsubaki," Maka asked breathlessly, clutching the edge of her desk chair as she sat in her green and yellow striped pajamas.  
"School already ended?" she murmured to herself, unaware of how much time had passed.

Tsubaki nodded.  
"It isn't like you to miss class, are you feeling fine?"

Maka shrugged.  
"Too much Halloween candy, I guess…" she lied, staring idly at the dust particles that drifted in the beams of afternoon sun that glistened in from the nearby window.

"Kid says he wants you to drop him a call," Tsubaki said, crossing her arms and following Maka's gaze to the window, "Wants to make sure you're feeling okay."

"What?" Maka said as a sharp shiver ran down her back.  
"Kid was at school today?!" asked, furrowing her brows dramatically.  
 _How did he avoid the cops? She could swear she knocked him out pretty hard with that book…_

"Yeah," Tsubaki said with a concerned look. "Everyone was there except you and Jackie…"  
She shrugged and chewed the inside of her cheek.  
"Hey, did something happen between you two last night?" she asked, "I mean, I heard about Kid and Liz…"

Maka bit her lip and stared down at the painted wood of her desk with a somber expression.  
"He told you about last night…?" she murmured.

Tsubaki sighed.  
"I know Liz can be a not-so-nice person, Maka, and Kid knows he acted stupid last night, but you know he's not a bad guy…"

"Just forget it," Maka shrugged glumly, shaking her head.

"Maka, Kid said he didn't mean to hurt you, he wanted me to tell you that-" Tsubaki began, staring hard into Maka's eyes.

"This isn't about Kid and Liz getting back together!" Maka half-lied, slamming her palm against her desk and causing her tea to slosh about in it's cup.

Tsubaki nodded slowly and broke her gaze, deciding to stare at her school flats instead.

Maka sighed.  
"Sorry," she murmured, "I'm just cranky, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night…"

A small grin broke out on Tsubaki's face.  
"Why don't we all go out to get some coffee tonight? Us, Kim, Black-Star, and Kid? You could use the caffeine and fresh air!"

"Oh, I don't know, I've got a bad migraine and tons of works to catch up on…" Maka said, feeling goosebumps rise on her arms at the idea of having to see Kid after last night.

"C'mon, it'll be good for you," Tsubaki giggled, "You can't avoid Kid forever!"

"I told you this isn't about him!" Maka said.

"Then I'll be seeing you tonight!" Tsubaki laughed as she turned and walked off to her side of the room.

Maka scoffed and buried her face in her hands, suppressing a smile that always seem to come with Tsubaki's sweet nature.  
She took a deep breath as she studied the bruise that wringed around her wrist, rubbing her thumb against the deep violet of the mark.  
"Hey, Tsubaki?" Maka murmured, not taking her eyes off the blemish.

Tsubaki stood in front off a small mirror that hung against her wardrobe, brushing out her long, silky black hair after undoing her tight braid.  
"Mhm," she said, working through a tangled strand.

"What did Kid want you tell me?" Maka questioned.

"Oh, yeah..." Tsubaki hummed as she tucked her hair behind her ears with a soft smile.  
"He wanted me to let you know that he knows you're a good friend and will understand why he did what he did last night, and he hopes that you can forgive him for it."

(Soul)

" _...Now is the climax to the story  
That gives the demons and angels purpose  
They fly around while we are walking  
And mold our emotions just to please them…" _

"Hey, what's up?" Black-Star asked into his phone, holding it between his cheek and shoulder as he typed fervently with his hands, the familiar sound of the keyboard clicks loudly filling the dorm room and mixing in with the music blasting from his stereo.  
"You never came back last night and I didn't catch you this morning, you alright?"

"I don't know, man," Soul said on the other end, his bad phone connection nearly blurring his words incomprehensible.  
"Was Kid at school today? And Liz?"

"Yeah, I think," Black-Star asked with furrowed brows, "Everyone but Maka and Jackie…"  
He paused his typing for a few moments and scanned the screen before picking up his pace once again.  
"Where are you anyway? You're phone signal sucks, I can barely understand you."

"Some motel off the edge of the city," Soul explained, the sound of him puffing a cigarette and taking a shaky breath interrupting his sentence midway.  
"Look, Kid has it out for me," he said, "It's this insane story, but you gotta believe me…,"

Black-Star sneered and pounded away at his keyboard.  
"I think I'm good, Soul."

"What?" Soul questioned, the sound of confusion evident in his voice.

"Look, I'm not trying to be a dick," Black-Star said, shifting the phone to his other shoulder and cheek, "But Kid is my bro, you know? I've got his back…"

"I'm not following what you're saying," Soul stated bluntly.

"What I'm saying is that Kid proved himself to be a pretty cool and trustworthy guy, unlike someone else I know…"

"No, please," Soul said, "If you've something to say, just say it. No need for euphemisms."

Black-Star scoffed.  
"Soul, you're a jerk and you've been a jerk to Kid ever since you wanted his girlfriend.  
Liz dumped you and got back together with Kid, and know you suddenly have this whole, horrible story about Kid conceived."

"Dude, this isn't about Liz dumping me, okay? Kid is fucking psycho!" Soul shouted into the phone.

"You're just a jealous prick, alright? I know Kid has some problems…" Black-Star began, shaking his head.

"Listen to me," Soul said, "I realized last night with Liz leaving me how fucked up I've been, okay? I swear man, what I have to say is one hundred percent true, and I need to tell you because I'm seriously losing my fucking mind over it."

"Then tell me," Black-Star said, "I'm listening."

"No," Soul began, "Not over the phone, this reception sucks.  
Come meet me outside the cinema tonight, the one near the railroad tracks? It's not too far from here…"

"Fine," Black-Star said, "But I'll be there in a little while, I promised Tsubaki I'd go get coffee with her tonight…"

"Alright, don't forgot," Soul said.

"Won't, see you then," Black-Star sighed before clicking his phone off.

He set his phone on the desk as he scrolled through his document for a few moments before his phone buzzed once again, displaying a new message on the screen.

 _* New Message *  
Death the Kid: You're coming with us to get coffee tonight, right? There's something insane I have to tell you._

(Maka)

" _...I disguise  
And I will lie  
And I will take my precious time  
As the days spent away…"_

His golden eyes shimmered in the yellowed light glowing overhead as his outfit of a stark white polo and black slacks contrasted with the deep green walls, causing him to stand out even more than ever.

" _...As I stand in line  
And I die as I wait as I wait on my crime  
And I'll try to delay what you make of my life…"_

He stood and walked over to Maka before she could take her seat, the coffee in her hand warming her frozen fingers whose cold was probably caused by the chill outside, but also maybe by the shivers his stare caused her to feel.

" _...But I don't want your way  
I want mine  
I'm dying and trying…"_

"Hey, can we step outside for a second?" he asked her, his soft expression conflicting with Maka's memory of the wild one she saw last night.

" _...But believe me I'm fine  
But I'm lying  
I'm so very far from fine…"_

Maka looked over at Tsubaki, who sat next to Black-Star and Kim as they both carried an animated discussion even though they could barely hear each other over the loud indie music playing from the speakers.  
Tsubaki shrugged with a smile, motioning with her chin for Maka to go.

"Sure," Maka said with a tight smile, clutching her cup so tightly her fingers turned even paler than before.

Kid smiled. "Let me get the door…"

(Maka)

"I like your boots," Kid murmured sheepishly as they stood outside the Starbucks, leaves rustling in the wind.

Maka stood and stared at her boots, the cherry-red color blending in with the fallen leaves and the scrape left on her knee from scaling the side of the apartment building last night.  
"Why aren't you in jail?" she blurted out, forcing herself to meet his eyes.

He chuckled.  
"Don't you know buildings like those are required to have a fire escape?"

Maka shook her head.  
"How are you laughing?" she said furiously, "You shot a gun last night, you could've killed somebody!"

"I know," he said tears forming in the corners of his eyes, wiping at them with jacket sleeve.  
"Trust me, I know…"

Maka sighed and leaned against the brick wall of the building.  
"Why?"

"I was drunk and, and this fight broke out with Soul," he stuttered.  
"He was there, too, you know? He got me so angry, I couldn't control myself."

"But you weren't drunk or fighting before the party," Maka said harshly, "Why did you bring it in the first place if you didn't have the intention of using it?"

"I don't know…" he whispered, chewing the inside of his mouth, "It's not my gun…"

"Who's it is?" Maka murmured.

"It was my brother's…" he said as tears rolled down his cheek, gleaming in the setting sun whose rays peaked through the clouds that formed around the city.  
"I'm going to turn out just like him," he said.

"Kid…" Maka said, feeling a pang in his chest.

"Remember that day you told me I wouldn't turn out like him? Do you?" he said in a rushed tone.  
"Now you've seen the real me and don't lie to me that you don't see a psycho like my brother inside of me."

"I don't! I said I didn't and I still stand by that!" Maka said, reaching out and squeezing his free hand, "Kid, you know what you did was wrong and you want to fix yourself. You have reasoning."

"Please, you can't let me go to jail," he pleaded, squeezing her hand back and holding her gaze intently, "I promise, I'll change."

Maka nodded.  
"You're not going to jail, Kid," she began, "The cops didn't catch you and no one has turned you in."

Kid stared at her deeply.  
"Soul will."

"He hasn't yet," Maka said with a sad stare, "Maybe he won't…"

"Maybe isn't good enough," Kid said as he gripped her hand.  
"Maka, I have a plan, please trust me, but it stays between me, you, and Liz."

"A plan?" she said, furrowing her brows.

"We're going to get Soul arrested for that crime."

(Soul)

The sky settled in a deep midnight blue as the thick patches of clouds faded into scattered pairs, revealing the glittering moonlight that illuminated broken glass and discarded aluminum cans that littered the sidewalks.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Black-Star said as he suddenly appeared next to Soul who was leaning lazily against a movie poster plastered on the cinema's wall.

"Shit, dude you scared me," Soul chuckled as he stepped off the wall, "You walked through the alley at this time of night?"

Black-Star shrugged.  
"So this thing you have to tell me, it's pretty urgent right?"

Soul nodded.  
"Yeah, man, it's fucking nuts. So I was at this Halloween party last night with Liz, okay?"

"You were at a Halloween party last night?" Black-Star questioned. "With Liz?"

Soul raised a brow.  
"Yeah, that's what I just said?"

"Where was this party at?" Black-Star asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Not too far from here actually," Soul shrugged, confusion evident in his voice.  
"Near that cluster of two-story apartment buildings by that alleyway where they caught those kids smoking weed not too long ago…"

"47th street?" Black-Star said.

Soul nodded.  
"Yeah, that's the one. Anyway, I was there with Liz…" he began.

"What were you wearing?" Black-Star asked with a hardened look on his face.

"Dude, why the hell are you asking me all these fucking questions? You prosecuting me or something?" Soul said.

"You're nerves seem pretty _shot_ , Soul," Black-Star said, squinting his eyes and pursing his lips, "Something about last night is really bugging you, huh?"

Soul threw his hands in the hair.  
"Dude, let me finish my fucking story and you'll understand!" he shouted with a confused laugh.

"First answer my question…" Black-Star said firmly, "What were you wearing?"

"I was fucking _Scream_ , okay? I had a _Scream_ mask on and probably a pair of skinny jeans or something!" Soul yelled.  
"Can I tell you my damn story now before I literally rip the hair out of my head?"

"Sure, you can," Black-Star said with a smirk, "But I'm not the one you're going to be telling it to," he said as two men dressed in police officer uniforms stepped out from the alleyway.  
The metal of a pair of handcuffs glinted in the moonlight.

"Black-Star, what the hell is going on, bro?" Soul asked before one officer grabbed his by collar and slammed him against the wall, patting him down before handcuffing him.  
"Soul Evans, you are under arrest…"  
A crowd of people then wandered out of the theatre, watching with curious eyes as a few glares from flash glinted of off people's cellphone cameras.

"A good good friend doesn't snitch," Black-Star said, watching the fear in Soul eye's as the handcuffs clicked.  
"But right now, you aren't exactly a good friend to me."

(Maka)

"See, you even heard him admit it!" Liz shrieked as she stood with an arm lazily placed over Kid's shoulder.

Maka stood with her arms wrapped around her, the chill of the police station lobby seeping through her thin jacket as the heater against the wall seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust.

"The results came in," an officer with a bulging belly said as he stepped through the door, carrying a folder containing a few files.  
"The DNA on the _Scream_ mask left in the hallway where Elizabeth Thompson claims to have been threatened matches the DNA of Soul Evans."

Liz nodded.  
"See? He dropped it before he ran off with the crowd when the police sirens sounded!"

"We still haven't found the weapon, yet," the officer responded, looking at the results with furrowed brows.

"What's Soul saying?" Kid questioned, "Is he being interrogated right now?"

"Did he say anything about Jackie?" Kim butted in, "Does he know where she went after the party?"

"That's confidential information," the officer said without moving his eyes.

The other officer, a leaner, younger-looking man sighed loudly.  
"Why don't you kids leave and get some sleep?" he chuckled, "You're going to have to stay here for a little bit longer, Liz. Gonna be a long night for you."

Liz nodded.  
"Thanks, Daniel," she said with a small smile.

"Can I stay here with her?" Kid asked, tightening his arm around Liz.

Daniel shrugged.  
"If you want, but I'd really prefer you go home and get some sleep."

"I'm staying," Kid persisted.

"As you wish," Daniel sighed as he picked up a foam cup that emitted steam from the hot coffee inside.  
"Goodnight to rest of you, then," he said before taking a sip.

The group bar Kid and Liz shuffled into the night, making their way down the deserted sidewalks to a nearby bus stop with their only source of light being a few scattered street lamps and the neon signs of a 7-11 across the road that contained advertisements for bags of ice and booze.

"I'm sure Jackie is fine, Kim," Tsubaki sighed with a subdued grin, "She probably just spent the night at someone's house and felt too hungover to come to class."

"She hasn't answered any of my calls or anything…" Kim murmured, "She's never been gone this long without saying anything to me…"

"I'm sure she's alright," Black-Star said, holding a protective arm around Tsubaki's waist.  
"I can't believe Soul owned a gun and fired it…" he said breathlessly. "He seemed like a pretty cool guy at first…"

Maka frowned.  
"What do you think is going to happen to him?"

Black-Star shrugged.  
"Shibusen has a strong policy against weapons. He'll probably be expelled."

Maka nodded slowly. "Do you think he'll go to prison?"

"Probably not," Tsubaki said as they neared the bus stop with fluorescent lights of the kiosk illuminating the dark sidewalk.  
"He's only 15…He'll probably just go to one of those juvenile detention centers, I doubt they'd think he actually wanted to kill someone…"

"Well, he _did_ fire a gun," Black-Star said matter-of-factly.  
"Some people just have no control," he sighed before turning to Maka with a grin.  
"Don't worry too much about him, though, okay? He won't be around anymore to bother us anymore."

Maka plastered on a fake smile.  
"Great."

(Soul)

"I swear to God, that little punk is twisting this story!" Soul shouted, slamming his fist against the steel table, the sound of impact reverberating in the small, sound-proof room.

The officer tapped his fingers against the table and looked over the files, clicking his tongue.  
"There's a lot of evidence against you," he began.  
"Why don't you just tell me the truth, okay? Lying isn't going to make anything better."

"I am telling the truth!" Soul yelled, "Kid had the gun! He's the one that fired it at me!"

"Do you have anyone else rather than yourself who can vouch for that claim?" the officer asked.

Soul nodded.  
"That girl," he began, "Her name is Jackie Dupre. She'll tell you that Kid was there!"

The officer shook his head.  
"Well, as of now we have no clue to her whereabouts, which means Kid has a witness to defend his claim and you don't."

"This is fucking rigged!" Soul shouted, desperately wishing for a cigarette.  
"Liz is just protecting his ass because she's his little slut!"

"Hey!" the officer said, furrowing his brows.  
"Calm down right now! Liz isn't anyone's little slut!"

"Officer Daniel," an older, heavier cop said as he opened the door, bringing in the scent of donut frosting and coffee.  
"We've got the kid' grandparents on the phone."

"You called my grandparents?" Soul said.

The older cop chuckled.  
"You didn't think we would?"

"We'll be done in five, Chuck," Daniel said, shuffling files back into the folder and scribbling something down in his notepad.

Chuck nodded and shut the door behind him.

"Death fought like a real bitch when it came to the case of his other son…" Daniel sighed.

Soul nodded, feeling a slap to his face when the guilt of teasing Kid about his brother and his mental illness hit him.  
"Death really cares about his kids…" Soul murmured.

"And Liz," Daniel added.  
"Death really cared about her and her sister…"

"You know them?" Soul questioned.

"Mhm, we grew up in the same foster home," Daniel nodded, "We go way back…"  
He paused for a brief moment and stared hard into Soul's eyes, rubbing the small stubble on his chin.  
"You understand how hard this is going to be for you, right?" he suddenly asked.

Soul furrowed his brows.  
"What?" he said.

"Headmaster Death is a very highly valued person in this state, in the whole country, I mean," Daniel said, shaking his head, "And I really meant it when I said he _fought like a bitch_ for his other son."  
"It's going to be impossible to get his other son behind bars, especially with the kind of lawyer he'd be able to get…"

"So no matter what I say, I won't be able to get myself out of this?" Soul asked.

Daniel shrugged.  
"Without hard evidence like the weapon in question, I'd say you'd better start packing your bags for a nice, long stay at the Juvenile Detention Center a few towns over."

Soul shook his head.  
"You don't even believe I'm innocent do you?" he said.  
"It probably doesn't even matter, you'll be on Liz's side no matter what."

Daniel laughed. "I am very protective of Liz you know," he said, twirling a pen between his fingers, "I'd do a lot to help her. However, it's part of my job to not let outside relationships interfere."

"Bullshit," Soul whispered fiercely, shaking his head.  
"I'm gonna get out of here," he said determinedly to Daniel, "When Jackie gets back here this whole thing will get straightened out."

Daniel chuckled.  
"Hopefully Jackie will be back soon then..."

(Maka)

"I have to go in again tonight to the station," Liz complained, applying another thick layer of artificial cherry lip gloss as wisps of her blonde hair fluttered in the chilly breeze.  
"Ugh, this whole thing is making my undereye bags so dark."  
Kid chuckled and tightened his arm around her shoulder, tapping his his free hand fingers against the cold metal of the picnic table underneath the ceiling of Shibusen's pavilion.

"Did you hear anything about Jackie?" Maka asked, trying to not to stare at Kid's arm around Liz.

"Nuh-uh," Liz said, picking at a frayed lock of hair.  
"Kim ran off earlier today, I think she's checking out some places where Jackie could have run off to. She's real worried and stuff."

"I'm sure everything will straighten out," Tsubaki chirped, "In a few month, we'll just forget this whole thing happened."

"This situation is just shit right now, though," Black-Star complained, popping open a can of Dr. Pepper with a clean *snap!*.  
"But hey, maybe now Soul can learn a fucking lesson about consequence."

Liz chuckled.  
"Damn, the kid has a strong sense of profanity," she laughed.

"It's just this whole thing is really messing with my head," Black-Star said, offering a sip of his soda to Tsubaki.  
"I mean, I know Soul was a jerk, but this?" he shook his head.  
"Did he really aim the gun right at you? As if he was really going to shoot you?"

Liz nodded.  
"Oh yeah," she said, "He got so angry when I dumped him for Kid, I just couldn't take his fake 'cool-guy' persona anymore, you know?" she said, shaking her head.

"So that's why he did it?" Black-Star asked, "Out of jealousy?"

"I think he's just insane," Liz said with a too-serious expression, "The whole breakup just threw him over the edge."

"Psh," Black-Star said, throwing his hands behind his head.  
"They better throw that kid behind bars, he deserves it," he said as Maka stood up and walked off.

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" Black-Star asked, turning to Tsubaki as everyone else watched Maka make her way down the field to the brick wall on the far side of the school lot.

"I'll go talk to her," Kid said, sliding his arm off of his Liz and chasing after Maka.

"This isn't going to work, Kid!" Maka said standing with her arms crossed in front of the brick wall that separated school property from the thick forest that dominated the rest of the area.

"It will work!" he whispered fiercely with clenched fists.

"Kid, listen to me," Maka pleaded, "When Jackie comes back…" she began.

"No!" Kid said, gritting his teeth.  
"She was so drunk Halloween night, she probably won't even remember the name of the sleeze she went home with that night!"

"How do you know that!?" Maka shouted.

"Just don't worry about Jackie, alright?" Kid begged with a harsh tone.  
"She doesn't matter right now."

Maka gripped her arms and chewed on her lip.  
"Where is she?"

Kid looked off to the side. "Where's who?"

"Jackie!" Maka yelled, "Where is she?!"

"I don't know!" Kid yelled back with anger rising in his voice, "Why the hell would I know where Jackie is?"

"Because I know you!" Maka shouted.  
"If Jackie would've posed as a threat to Liz's alibi, you would've done something about it. You never just let things float in the air unknown, you strike down what endangers your 'order' or 'plan' to ensure everything turns out the way you want it to!"

Kid huffed and shook his head.  
"You're talking nonsense," he whispered.

"Am I?" Maka questioned with a scrutinizing stare.  
"Because it's the exact same thing you're doing to Soul!"

Kid chuckled.  
"If you believe I do away with what threatens my plans, then you'd better shut the fuck up," he said before turning around and making his way back over to the pavilion.

Maka grunted and turned to face the brick wall, refusing to walk back over with him and instead choosing to hoist herself over with a sound *plop!* as she hit the ground on the other side of the wall.

"Do you really think he has Jackie?" a voice said.

Maka whipped her head to see Kim, curled into a ball against the wall with tear-stained cheeks and a hardened expression.

Maka shrugged.  
"How much of that did you hear?" she asked.

Kim stood and brushed pieces of grass off her pair of jeans.  
"Everything," she murmured.

"What are we going to do?" Maka said.

Kim walked over and stared hard into Maka's eyes.  
"We're going to put Headmaster Death's son where he belongs."  
"Behind bars."

 _To be continued..._

Haha, thanks for reading...sorry this chapter was a bit shorter than the rest, I just decided this would be a good place to break it off or else the chapter would've ended up being waaaay too long...anyways, please R&R and I'll see you guys next chapter...Have a good one :)


	8. Chapter 8: Chains and Doughnut Frosting

Hey guys...How's it going? So pumped for Thanksgiving, I just wanna eat ham and read my books.  
P.S. Sorry in advance for this chapter literally being 98% Maka and 2% Soul, haha :p

Chapter 8:

The freezing, brittle wind blasted through the endless clusters of tall fir trees, the noise of rustling leaves and whistling wind making any other sounds barely audible.

"Find anything?" Maka questioned, standing in the center of the forest clearing as cracks of moonlight illuminated her pale face.

"Nothing," Kim called out over the wind, overturning a damp log and checking the earth underneath with her cellphone flashlight.

Maka clutched her jacket and studied the mossy patches of a nearby tree.  
"Kim, we've been searching this place for a week and a half, maybe we should give this whole thing up…" she sighed.

Kim kicked the log with her mud-covered sneaker in frustration, sending it rolling a few paces backwards.  
"You giving up on me, Albarn?" she asked, shaking her head.

"This forest is huge, and who even knows if Kid hid the gun here?" Maka murmured, "That's if he didn't destroy the gun completely as it is…"

"I'm going to put that asshole behind bars if it means I have to tear this school down brick by brick and burn this damn forest to the ground," Kim said angrily, marching off further down the woods.

Maka jogged after her.  
"Kim, listen to me, the only way we're going to find Kid guilty is with that gun or at least with Jackie's alibi," she pleaded, "Granted, we haven't found signs of either of those things since."

Kim grunted in frustration.  
"Maka, let me tell you something, I don't care about setting Soul free or doing what's right," she said angrily, stomping through the woods, "I just want Jackie back, I want her back so fucking bad and just knowing that lying piece of crap took her away from me-"

 ***crunch!***

"What's that?" Maka asked as she jogged up a few more paces, finally catching up to Kim as she paused to pick something up off the ground.

"An iPhone," Kim muttered as the moonlight glinted off the cracked screen, "It looks pretty busted up, though…"

Maka shrugged and carefully took the IPhone from Kim, trying to not to slice her fingers on the broken glass.  
She popped off the muddy pink case and with a sound *click!*, a small chip popped out the side.

"A memory chip?" Kim asked as Maka nodded, holding the small object in the center of her palm  
"Doubt it'd still be readable if it got soaked in the rain."

"No telling until we try," Maka shrugged, examining the case.  
"Do you remember anything about Liz or someone losing a phone in here?"

Kim shook her head.  
"I haven't really been hanging with the guys out here since that whole locker incident…" she muttered.

Maka gripped the chip and nodded, remembering the big letters spelling " _D-Y-K-E"_ scrawled across Kim's locker in what appeared to be spray paint or something of the sort.  
"Black-Star is good with tech-stuff, or at least has some pretty geeky friends...maybe they could find a way to scan this…"

"Isn't that illegal or something?" Kim asked, slowly closing her eyes and leaning gingerly against one of the nearby trees as the wind ruffled her short, hot-pink hair.

"Is what illegal?" a voice asked behind him.

Maka spun around to see him standing there, wind billowing his dark coat and hair.

Kid laughed.  
"Surely we aren't having any other illegal actions occurring around here, hm?" he chuckled.

Maka gritted her teeth and involuntarily clenched her fists, causing the memory chip to dig into her palm as blood trickled from her opposite palm as cracked glass pushed against her skin.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Kim asked angrily with furrowed brows.  
"Surely daddy will be mad that you're up past your bedtime."

Kid shook his head and grinned smugly.  
"I noticed some shadows wandering around the wall from a window," he shrugged, "I just wanted to investigate, make sure everyone is doing fine."

"Just dandy," Kim muttered as Kid walked over to Maka, grabbing the bloody phone out of her hand.

"Hey!" Maka said, reaching out to snatch the phone back before Kid zipped it up in his pocket.

"You've cut your hand," he said, watching tiny pools of red drip from her outstretched palm as he held the phone.

"I'm fine," Maka murmured, pulling her fist back and remembering she still held onto the memory chip in her opposite hand.  
"Let's go, Kim," she said, motioning for Kim to follow as she pushed past Kid.

"You're not going to find that gun," Kid suddenly called out.

Kim scoffed and spit at Kid's shoes as he passed by him.  
"Just shut your trap," she murmured.

"How ladylike," Kid said as Kim turned around to flip Kid off with a smug grin.

"Was he always like this?" Maka asked as her and Kim pushed their way through thick branches of pine needles, heading back to Shibusen.

Kim shrugged.  
"Honestly, me and Kid were never that close," she said, "I just happened to become friends with Liz because we both hated this one slut from last year."

"How nice," Maka giggled.  
"How long have you been friends with Jackie?"

Kim smiled.  
"As long as I could remember, I guess," she said.  
"Our mom's were best friends since they were young, and when Jackie's mom passed away, she moved into the apartment beneath ours,"  
"We've been inseparable ever since."

"Wow," Maka muttered, thinking life-long friendships only existed in books or movies.  
"You guys both decided to go Shibusen together?" she asked.

"Mhm," Kim said.  
"We both got in on scholarship, you know how many they give out for the arts program since they don't have any official sport teams…" she murmured, pushing back branches as the brick wall came into sight.

"You're in the arts department?" Maka asked.

Kim laughed.  
"It's dumb," she said, shaking her head, "I used to act for theatre at our old school; I honestly don't know why they gave me that scholarship."

"I don't think it's dumb," Maka said as they finally reached the edge of the forest.

"Well, I think it is," Kim said as she hoisted herself onto the wall.  
"I don't even act anymore, just behind the scenes work."

"Why?" Maka asked as she followed Kim onto the wall before hitting the grass on the opposite side with a soft _***thud!***_.

"Eh," Kim shrugged as they walked through the small field separating the wall and the school's pavilion.  
"Every play is the same thing. Some female wants to prove herself by doing what? Getting a pretty dress and kissing the man of her dreams? It's all the same bullshit."

Maka giggled. "Maybe you should write a new play, something different."

"Maybe…" Kim joked.

Maka clutched her arms as a strong wind blasted through, rustling the pale yellow grass as a thought hit her mind.  
 _"Where would Kid be in Shibusen that he was able to see us jump the wall?"_  
Her eyes searched up to the school building whose windows were dark and doors were probably locked.  
She glanced over to the girl's dormitory where all the windows remained unlit except one of the many large bay window at the very top floor.

 _"The floor that Kid's brother set on fire,"_ Maka wondered as she stared at the illuminated window and the dark, shadowy figured that stood in it's center.  
" _Patricia…"_

(Soul)

A pale light bulb illuminated the small, windowless room in a dim, fluorescent light.  
Outside the room, a few remaining police officers sat weary-eyed, hunched over documents and computer screens as they loaded themselves with sugary frosted doughnuts and watered-down coffee to keep themselves awake.

"How could you do such a stupid thing?" Wes asked, shaking his head as he stood tall and firm with unwavering eyes.

"I didn't do anything!" Soul shouted back, slamming his fist against the metal table that sat between them.  
"It was the professor's son that fired the pistol, I've told you that a million times."

Wes scoffed and leaned back in his chair, looking Soul hard in the eyes as he crossed his arms.  
"You let yourself be in this position, you know that right?"

"What the hell do you mean?" Soul asked angrily.  
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Wes chuckled.  
"You let yourself date a girl you've just barely met a month ago, and then you follow her over to some random party where you'd be surrounded by groups of intoxicated teenagers...getting drunk yourself," he said with a wry grin.  
"What did you expect would happen?"

Soul threw his hands up in frustration.  
"Shit happens, alright? I just-," he began.

"All you ever say is 'I'," Wes sighed, rolling his eyes.  
"You just don't even care about anyone but yourself," he said.

"I hate how you always turn things on me!" Soul yelled.  
"Instead of helping me get out of this mess!"

"There you go again," Wes said with an ounce of frustration, "You really need to start taking responsibility for your actions, Soul."  
"You know, grandma and grandpa were really hopeful you'd be able to straighten yourself out by going to school here."  
"You don't understand how much this hurts them. If they were able to fly out here and see you..."

"It's not like that!" Soul shouted.

"We've tried so hard to direct you onto the right path," Wes sighed, looking away from Soul and focusing instead on brushing non existent dust off his blazer.  
"It's my fault, I believe, in letting you become friends in the first place with such hooligans."

"What are you getting at?" Soul asked, gripping the edge cool, metal edge of the table.

Wes shrugged.  
"That one girl from back home," he began, "She told me her name the day she stopped by, I can't quite recall it."

"How do you know about her?" Soul questioned.

"I read that letter she left for you, the one she gave me to give to you a few days before we sent you off," Wes said, raising an eyebrow and watching Soul carefully.  
"I'm surprised we didn't notice you became friends with such troubled kids."

Soul stood up and slammed his palms on the table, allowing a large _***bang!***_ to sound in the small room.  
"You read that letter?" he shrieked.

"See, I never tell you these things because you're so overdramatic," Wes hissed.

"I hate it when you always get in my business!" Soul screamed.

"I hate what happens when we don't get in your business because you're such a moron when it comes to life!" Wes shouted back, finally losing his cool. He stood up and began pacing the room, ruffling his hair.  
"How the hell did we get like this, Soul?" he murmured.

Soul leaned back into his chair and shrugged.

"I would always watch out for you, Soul, you're my little brother. I remember that night I picked you up from the side of the road because some dude beat your face in…" he sighed, half-laughing.  
"I wish we'd stop fighting."

Soul looked up, seeing tears in the edges of his brother's eyes.  
"I don't need you to look out for me," he said gruffly.

Wes took a deep breath.  
"Do you understand how hard it is being your older brother, Soul? You think I live a dream life with my fame and violin, but you don't know how much I have to worry about you and grandma and grandpa!"  
"Why do you think I come visit every other weekend instead of going on tour or spending the weekend with my wife? Or why I put away my own money to make sure you have something to lean on when you move out of grandma and grandpa's house?"

Soul bit his lip and looked away.  
"Sorry," he murmured.

"Me too," Wes whispered, shaking his head.

(Maka)

" _I'm sorry I've been acting like such a horrible person," Kid murmured, holding onto Maka's hand as they sat on the edge of the brick wall, overlooking the school's pavilion.  
The sky was a lovely, pale blue and butterflies flitted to and from the endless patches of wildflowers in the grass._

" _Why do you always do this?" Maka asked.  
_ " _You apologize for being like this," she began, "But you turn around and do it again…"  
_ " _Do you really mean it when you say you're sorry?"_

 _Kid shrugged, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand._

" _I wish you'd sit and talk to me like you did before," Maka said.  
_ " _I want to help you."_

 _ ***clink!***_

 _Maka looked down to see Kid's hand no longer rested in hers but instead holding firmly against the same pistol he held on Halloween night._

" _Kid…?!" Maka shrieked, looking up, expecting to see Kid but instead seeing another face._

" _Maka, it's just your father," her dad said, holding the gun steadily against his head.  
_ " _I'm sorry I left you again, but will you forgive?"_

 _Maka shrieked, now unable to jump down and run from the brick wall as it suddenly stood as tall as the tree-tops._

" _Please?" he whispered, as Maka looked down at the sickening height, wanting to scream, cry, and potentially vomit.  
She gulped hard and took a deep breath before hitching her leg over and sending herself off the brick wall, hearing a gunshot, and falling through the clouds for what seemed like eternity until…_

 ***plop!***

Maka shot up at her desk as an orange sticky note stuck to the side of her cheek, a small amount of drool pooling at the edge of her lip.  
She looked down at the test packet that was just thrown onto her desk with a big 'D+' marked in permanent red marker.

"I..failed?" she stuttered, flipping through the pages in disbelief before becoming aware she was the only student left in the classroom.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if I slept through my teacher's past three lectures," Professor Stein remarked in a snarky attitude.

"Sorry," Maka murmured dropping the packet back onto her desk and ruffling her tangled blonde hair that hung down to her shoulders.

Stein shrugged and lazily walked over to his desk, plopping himself backwards into his desk chair.  
"Don't be sorry," he muttured in a sing-song voice, "Just do the right thing."

Maka bit her lip.  
"Is there anyway I can bring this grade up?" she pleaded.

Stein picked up a magazine and began flipping through the pages.  
"Probably," he said.

"Well, how can I?" she asked, keeping her eyes on him as she threw her stuff back into her school binder and walked up to his desk.

Stein looked at her deeply, rubbing the side of his head as his other hand gripped the magazine.  
"Take a walk," he began, "Clear your mind, get yourself a coffee and figure your shit out."

"What?" Maka asked.

"I notice things that are happening around this school, Maka," he said, raising his eyebrows.  
"And one thing I've noticed is that you're not on your A-game."  
He laughed to himself. "No pun intended, of course."

"Psh, whatever," she said irritably as she stomped out of the room.

"Believe me, some fresh air and a nice walk is just what you need to tighten your gears," he called out before sighing into his magazine.  
"Attitude of her mother and spirit of her father," he murmured to himself, the only other audible noise being Maka's shoes squeaking on and on down the hall.

(Maka)

The endless patter of heavy rain continued to pound against the windows, turning more into a thicker, sleet texture as the temperature dropped with the ticking of the clock.

" _...California, rest in peace...  
...Simultaneous release…"_

"Well?" Maka asked, hunched over Black-Star's computer desk as Kim slowly paced the room, staring up at the many posters that remained plastered against the walls.

"Weeb," Kim laughed, crossing her arms with a sly smile.

Black-Star waved her off. "I know what I am," he joked.  
"Why'd you need me to look into this, anyway?"

"No reason," Maka asked, scanning Black-Star's computer screen.  
"What's Soul Eater?" she asked, pointing to an unopened tab that displayed the name next to a navy blue square containing the word 'fan' enclosed within.

Black-Star canceled the tab as his cheeks grew red.  
"None of your business!" he whined.

"Leave boys to their kinky bullshit, Maka," Kim joked as she nudged a stack of ninja-style fighting video games with her sneaker.

He shrugged.  
"The card's nearly unreadable," he sighed. "All I can get is a list of a few contacts…"  
"Hey, look! There's Kid's number!" Black-Star said, pointing towards the screen.

Maka looked it over, reading over Kid's number and the contact beneath him entitled "The Man In Blue" with a number displayed beneath.  
The rest mainly remained as jumbled code and symbols.

"This pointless," Maka said, shaking her head before storming out the room, fed-up with all the dead ends and loops.

"Maka!" Kim called out with annoyance as she stepped into hallway, watching Maka make her way to the staircase.  
"Where are you going?"

Maka waved her off.  
"For a walk!" she called out.

She son found herself leaning against the Starbucks outside wall as she gripped a no longer hot latte in her hand, the awning above her offering little protection from the wet wind whipping clumps of slush at her.

"Looks like someone is having a shit day," a voice said.

She peered up through her windbreaker hood as Killik stood a few paces in front of her with a side smile.

Maka grinned lightly.  
"How could you tell?" she asked.

He leaned against the wall next to her and shrugged.  
"Primarily happy people don't stand outside a Starbucks alone in the rain. Got stood up on a date, or something?"

Maka giggled.  
"No, no dates," she murmured. "Sorry I never called you…"

"Don't worry about it," Killik chuckled.  
"But, what's up anyway?," he asked, "You could talk to me, you know. I've been known as a pretty good listener and advice-giver…"

Maka half-laughed and shrugged.  
"I've just hit a dead-end, and I don't know where to look for answer anymore…"

Killik nodded.  
"Sometimes what you're looking for is right under your nose…"

Maka scrunched up her brows.  
"Or right above it…"

"Huh?" Killik questioned.

"I've remembered something!" she called out, turning over to wave good-bye.  
"I'll call you sometime soon, thanks for the advice!"

"Hey wait a minute!" he called out.  
"You still at Shibusen, right?"

Maka paused and nodded.  
"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"My old friend from band camp called me the other night, saying she wanted to get ahold of you, but I didn't have your number since you never called." he said.

"What's her name?" Maka asked, furrowing her brows as she jogged back over a few paces.

"Jackie Dupre," he said bluntly, "Said she was friends with you or something?"

...

"Tell me everything you know, you little fucker!" Kim screeched, grabbing tightly onto Killik's shirt collar as they stood in his cramped apartment living room.

"Jackie just called me the other night!" Killik said, eyes trained on Kim's tight grip, "Not from her cellphone number, though. Asked if I knew a Maka Albarn, said she needed to talk to her!"  
"I didn't even know she was _literally missing, honestly_!"

"What's the number?" Maka asked.  
"And let him go, Kim so he can get his phone!"

Kim sighed and released him as he scrambled to grab his outdated flip-phone, clicking it a few times before turning the dimly-lit phone face to Maka.

"Don't know it," Kim shrugged as Maka chewed her lip.

"I do," Maka said suddenly, eyes widening.  
"The contact list on Black-Star's computer! The Man In Blue!"

"Well, who's the man in blue!?" Kim said, crossing her arms.

"Daniel!" Maka said breathlessly.  
"Liz knows Daniel, right?! The police officer who was in the station with us!?"

Something flickered in Kim's eyes.  
"Let's go find that fucker."

...

"This is a horrible idea; we're gonna get ourselves literally fucked," Killik said as he parked in front of a run-down, two-story apartment building with stained vinyl siding and dead rosebushes lining a cracked cement walkway.

"Pessimist," Kim hissed as she leaned low in the passenger, dark shades covering her eyes.

"I prefer the term 'realist'" Killik said as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and whistled lightly.

"You sure this is the place?" Maka whispered, peering out from behind the driver's seat.

"This is the address linked with the number," Killik said. "But those phone books are old as shit, so, can't really be sure…"

Maka nodded as she glanced to the second story of the house, noticing a small window off to the side that was barred over.  
She squinted closer and could barely make out a few strands of thin, metal chains tied around the bars.

"She's up there," Maka murmured, "Her necklaces…"

"Well, go have fun guys," Killik said, crossing his arms, "There ain't no way I'm breaking into a cop's house in broad daylight."

"Fine!" Kim said, flinging her door open, "Leave Jackie locked up in there! Some friend!" she yelled.

Killik shook his head as he watched Kim walk straight into the building.

"Ignore her, she's just fed up," Maka giggled.  
"You keep watch, I'll follow her."

"Sounds like a plan," Killik murmured as Maka went out in the street, tightening her windbreaker and jogging up to catch up with Kim.

"How'd you get his apartment open!?" Maka called out, standing in the small, surprisingly pristine kitchen.

"Shut up! Don't let the neighbors hear you! She's back here!" Kim said as she stood hunched over a doorknob, working at it with a bent bobby pin.  
"Life skills," she murmured, "I think I'm quite good with them…"

 _ ***click!***_

The door flung open and standing on the other side was Jackie, with neatly combed hair and no signs of any injuries.

"What did he do?!" Kim shrieked, hugging Jackie tightly.  
"Did he hurt you? Force you to do anything?" she asked.

Jackie giggled and shook her head.  
"No, I'm fine," she whispered.

"Fine!? You've just been kidnapped! Are you insane!?" Kim yelled.

"I prefer the term optimist," she said.

"What happened?" Maka asked.

Jackie shrugged.  
"The police guy, he said he wouldn't hurt me, and he didn't, I swear," she began, "He just told me I had to stay here for a while."

"Why the hell would he do that?" Kim wondered aloud.

"To make sure she wouldn't get to tell her alibi until Soul already got found guilty and sent away," Maka said, putting the pieces together.

"Why didn't you just tell Killik that you needed help when you called him?" Kim asked.

"He was watching me, I lied and said I had to call my brother from back home," Jackie said, "It was the only way I could reach you guys…"

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" a voice yelled out behind them.

Maka looked up to find Daniel standing in the front doorway with narrowed eyes.

"He's blocking the exit…" Jackie whispered.

Maka gripped Jackie's hand and reached behind her for a glass cup that sat on a small, folding table behind her.  
"In buildings like this, there's always a fire escape," she murmured before chucking the glass, causing Daniel to freeze and shield his eyes before they ran off.

"Here!" Maka shouted as they ran over to a narrow hallway that lead to a balcony door, forcing it open as Jackie bolted down the fire-escape, followed by Maka and Kim.

"You fuckers!" Daniel screamed as he slipped down the sleet covered stairs, jabbing his elbow against the metal rail with a solid ***bang!***

"Drive, dammit!" Kim shrieked as they jumped back into car.

"I'm moving!" Killik said, turning on the ignition.  
"You alright, Jackie?" he asked, making brief eye contact as he turned around to back out the car.

She nodded as they pulled into the the street, driving off as Daniel ran into the front yard, pounding his fist into the air.  
They headed off into the now near-snow precipitation, the sky turning over it's final moments of daylight as it darkened to a deep blue behind the clouds.

…

"Well, now what?" Kim said as she leaned next to the iron gate that held the steps leading into Shibusen's front courtyard.

"Maka, maybe we should just head down to the police station," Jackie murmured, clutching onto Kim's jacket sleeve.

Maka shook her head.  
"No," she said firmly as she swung the gate open, "It's not enough evidence to put Kid in jail, yet. We need that gun."

Kim scoffed. "You're the one that wanted to give up on that! What are you going to do, search the whole forest? It's not like we have a hundred years before the police start looking for us!"

"I know where it is!" Maka called out, racing up the steps.  
"Trust me!"

"So, you guys wanna wait in the car till it stops sleeting?" Killik asked as Maka dashed up the steps, the sound of her cherry-red Doc Martens squeaking against the wet stone.

…

" _Locked?!"_ Maka thought, staring wide-eyed at the large metal padlock that fastened the doors leading to the top floor of the girl's dormitory shut.

She began frantically scanning the hallway, searching for another way in as wet rain droplets dripped off her windbreaker and fell onto the deep red carpet.  
A quick remembrance broke into her mind of Lord Death promising to reinforce the safeness of Shibusen after news of the shooting spread around school.  
" _Shit,"_ she murmured under her breath.

"Maka?" a voice said sweetly behind her.

"Oh," Maka said, spinning around on her ankle, "Ms. Marie..."

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" she giggled, "You're soaked!"

"Oh, uh, yeah…" Maka murmured, rubbing the back of her damp hair.

"You know, I spoke to Professor Stein earlier today," Ms. Marie began, "And I was wondering if you wanted to step into my office for a second?"

"I actually have to go-..." Maka began.

"Oh! It'll be no longer than a minute!" Marie chirped as she pulled Maka into her office, a door not too far down the hallway.

Maka sighed as she stepped into Marie's office, plopping herself down into a chair with a sour look on her face before taking off her soaked jacket.

Ms. Marie flicked on the lights which emitted a yellow-glow, illuminating a set of metal keys hanging from a nearby hook.  
Maka's eyes widened as she focused on them.

"So, you know," Ms. Marie began, pacing behind her desk, "You've been having some troubles clearing your mind?"

Maka plastered a smile on her face.  
"Oh, definitely," she said a bit too sweetly, "And I'd actually love to talk all about it with you!"

"Really?" Marie happily shrieked.

"Of course," Maka lied.  
"But, my throat's starting to hurt from standing out in the cold all day...Do you think you could, maybe, grab me some tea from the teacher's lounge downstairs?"

"I'll go get it right away!" Marie sang, heading to the door, "Just wait here and dry off, I'll be back in a few minutes!"

Maka sank into the chair and waited until she could no longer here Ms. Marie's heels clicking down the hall.  
She then shot up from her seat and grabbed the ring of keys before taking off back to the door.

 _"Dammit!"_ she shrieked after trying key after key on the door as each one failed to unlock it.  
"Why don't teacher's ever label their goddamn keys?" she thought, wondering how Marie kept track of them all.

"It's that silver one," a voice murmured behind her, "The one with the gold bottom."

Maka whipped around to see a teenager about her age with short, lilac hair.  
"How do you know?" she asked frantically.

"Newest lock, key with the least rust," she said quietly, "And the gold bottom matches the gold bottom on the lock."

Maka flipped back around and with a sharp _***click!***_ the lock opened and the chains fell to the floor.  
"Thank you, thank you!" she said as she scrambled to get the door open before taking off up the stairs.

"You're welcome," the kid whispered, slightly hurt Maka had left him standing all alone in the hall.

…

Maka stood with arms crossed at the head of the stairs, squinting at the long hallway lined with various doors.  
She paced down the corridor and took her best bet, the door across from the only window that remained boarded up.

She flipped open her iPhone flashlight and scanned the ground of the hallway, finding nothing but an old radio and a few discarded cigarette butts.

 _ ***creeeak!**_ *

Maka pushed open the door to the room which contained nothing beyond an armoire and a rusted bed frame.  
Taking a few steps towards the armoire, she stumbled when stepping on a floorboard that nearly gave up underneath her weight.

 _"Wait a second…"_ Maka murmured to herself, crouching down and pulling at the loose floorboard before taking it off completely.  
Sitting underneath was the same pistol Kid held on Halloween night and a can of black spray-paint.  
 _"D-Y-K-E,"_ Maka thought as she remembered the words sprayed onto Kim's locker, and then thinking back to how she had blamed Soul for the whole incident.  
Had it been Kid that spray-painted the locker for Liz?

"Get the hell out of here," a voice said rigidly.

Maka shot back up.  
"Liz…" she murmured.

"Daniel told me you found her," Liz said angrily.  
"But we've planned ahead for this. You still won't be able to put Kid behind bars."

"With this gun I can!" Maka said.  
"Let me turn Kid in," she said with determination.

"I'm not going to let you hurt my friend like that!" she shouted.

"If you just keep letting him do these things and covering up his acts with lies, it's only going to get worse!" Maka shouted back.  
Liz shook her head.

"I'm serious! He needs help, Liz!" Maka said.  
"The acts and lies are only going to get bigger and worse and eventually it's going to be too much!"

"Sending him to jail will ruin him, his father, and this school's reputation!" Liz yelled.

"And letting him get worse will really ruin him, his father, and this school's reputation!" Maka said.  
She laughed. "You act as if you really care about him, you just want his money!"

Liz gritted her teeth.  
"Like you even know him!" she said.

"At least I know enough about him that I can see he needs therapy, or something!" Maka retorted.  
"You know he's even afraid of himself!? Afraid he'll turn out like his brother?!"

Liz leaned against the door and pressed against her forehead.  
"I know…" she suddenly whimpered.  
"He's never done anything like this…He reminds me so much of his older brother…"

"Don't let him turn out like that," Maka whispered.  
"He can still get help."

Liz nodded as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, leaving dark trails of smeared mascara on her cheeks.  
"You're right, you know, about the money" she said.  
"At first I just wanted the money, that's all I ever wanted…I needed to get me and my sister away from here…"

"Oh…" Maka murmured, unsure at what to say as she focused on her boots.

Liz laughed.  
"I feel so shitty, because I know I'm like this yet I act this way over and over again…Kind of like how Kid acts, maybe…Actually kind of how we all like..."  
She frowned.  
"I was such a bitch to Soul last week…" she said to herself.

Maka reached down and picked up the gun, surprised at how heavy it was  
Liz motioned her to go.

"Thanks, for letting me do this," Maka murmured.

Liz shrugged.  
"They still won't send him to jail, you know," she said, sniffling, "His father can fight this, it's not like he burnt down an entire dorm floor."

Maka shivered.  
"Well, let's just call this an intervention, then."

Liz winked as Maka brushed passed her and ran out the building, nearly knocking over Ms. Marie and two cups of hot tea as she flew down the steps.

(Soul)

"Ugh," Soul groaned as the lights in the small room suddenly flickered on, interrupting his dreams about something he couldn't quite remember.

"Come on," Chuck, the chubbier police officer, said with his usual smile, motioning for Soul to follow him down the hall.

"More bad news?" Soul murmured as they made their way down to a small conference room, the sounds of computer typing and whispered conversations flowing into to corridor.

"Complete opposite, actually," Chuck said as a police officer Soul has never seen before shuffled with a stack of papers in his hand inside the room.

"The bullets in the gun match the bullet found on the scene where the gun was fired on October 31st," he said in a firm, burly voice.  
"-And the DNA matches that of Headmaster Death's son, Kid."

"What?" Soul said, shocked as a water fountain bubbled behind him.

"With the newfound alibi by Jackie Dupre and these DNA samples, it appears we have a new suspect," Chuck said.

"What's that mean for me?" Soul asked as Chuck handed him a cardboard box containing his hoodie, cellphone, and other things.

Chuck laughed, causing his oversized belly to jiggle.  
"It means you're free to go, Mr. Evans."

(Maka)

"What are you doing here?" Soul asked with furrowed brows, holding a cardboard box as he stood in the lobby wearing his pajamas.

"Long story," Maka sighed, leaning against the stucco walls next to a plastic plant.

Soul shrugged as he dropped the box down on the floor and grabbed his sweatshirt from inside.

"Hey," Soul murmured as he picked up his grey hoodie.  
"Those are them cherry-red Doc Martens…"

Maka nodded.

He furrowed his brows, swearing he'd seen someone wear those before as he pulled on his hoodie.  
"They're pretty cool."

 _To be continued…_

Haha, get it? Cause they both wore the masks the night of the party and the only thing Soul saw of her were her boots? No? Well never mind :p  
Thanks so much for reading, and sorry this chapter was mostly dialogue and repetitiveness…but, anyways, have a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate it... See you guys next chapter :D


	9. Chapter 9: Rosemary and Douchebags

Chapter 9:

(Maka)

Teenagers sluggishy trudged through the crowded hallways with backpacks slung over their shoulders as they caught-up with each other after their week off for Thanksgiving break.

" _Can't believe it's already December…"_ Maka murmured to herself as she made her way over to her locker, pushing past groups of students and hopping over someone's spilled cup of coffee in the center of the hall.

"Sup, fucker?" Kim said as she leaned against the empty locker next to Maka's, stretching her arms above her head with a blank gaze.

"Just happy to back, I guess..." Maka said as she clicked open her lock before swinging open her locker to find an all-black envelope sitting on top of her stack of books.

"Huh, an official Shibusen envelope…" Kim muttered as Maka pulled it out, turning it over in her hands to reveal the school's stark white skull emblem embroidered in it's center.

" _Quit standing in the center of the aisle, dumbass!"_ someone yelled, followed by the sound of something hitting a locker with a loud _***bang!***_.

"Psh, some people never change," Kim scoffed as Liz angrily made her way through the groups of students that stepped back in fear of her as Maka pushed her way through the crowd over to the poor kid that was unfortuantely in the way of Liz's rage infused mood.

"You okay?" Maka whispered, reaching out her free hand as the other one still clutched the unopened enveloped.

"Yeah, just thrown against a locker," he whispered, taking her hand.

"Hey, I remember you," Maka said as she helped him up, "You helped me with the attic lock last week, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," he said, standing up straight and fixing his tie.

"Thanks for that," Maka said, eyeing the light blue of his tie.  
"You're a Freshman, right?" she said, "Ignore that girl, she's a bit of a bitch."

"Uh, yeah, I kinda noticed," he said as the bell rang out, causing the sea of students to only get louder and more agitated as they rushed to get to their first period class.

"I'm Maka, by the way, I'll see around," she called out before rushing back to her locker where she threw the envelope into her binder before running off to class.

(Soul)

" _I fucking hate you!"_ Liz screamed, standing over him with her arms at her hip. Her uniform polo was tied-up in the front, showing off her tanned, pierced belly button and the bunched top-half of her skirt that made it look shorter than it really was.

"I don't know why you'd say that," Soul said, sitting against the brick wall with a cigarette in hand.  
"I literally did nothing wrong."

"Ugh!" Liz called out in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air as she paced in front of him.  
"I just hate you and that flat-chested blonde bitch and all her stupid friends. They completely ruined him!"

Soul scoffed before taking another huff of his cigarette.  
"I'm guessing Kid didn't take the whole situation too well."

"Listen here," she said sharply, "That one Sophomore got the best of me last week, I should have never let her take that weapon, but what else was I going to do? We were sloppy with this whole thing, and now Kid is going to be permanently fucked up because of it!"

"Well what do you want me to do about this?" Soul asked nonchalantly.

Liz laughed.  
"You and Maka made his life a living hell, and don't act like I'm not going to do anything about it. No one hurts Kid and just gets to walk away!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Soul called out as Liz stomped off. "This whole thing was definitely not my fault; Kid's the one that lost his shit!"  
"And don't act like you didn't hurt Kid these past few months as it is!" he said, standing up and clenching his fists as Liz hoisted herself over the wall. "Yeah, I was a dick, but you were downright cruel to him as it is!"

She shook her head as she hopped down onto the other side wall, waving him off with her hand.  
"Oh, by the way," she said spinning around on her heel to face Soul as she walked backwards through the field, "Lord Death says he wants to meet with you during lunch, don't be late."

"Bitch," Soul scoffed through gritted teeth as Liz walked off.

(Maka)

" _...and you're going to have to remember the formula for photosynthesis for midterm exams, so I'd write it down if I were you…_ " Stein said as he talked on and on while writing against the white board with a dry erase marker.

Maka glanced over to her classmates who were either way too absorbed in the lecture or half-passed out on their desks with pools of drool forming at the edge of their lips.  
" _Wonder if that's what I look like when I'm obsessing over class,"_ she thought to herself as she watched a girl with an assortment of rainbow colored highlighters spread neatly over her desk scribble away at her notes with beads of sweat dripping from her forehead.  
Maka looked up once more at Stein who had his back to her as she pulled the envelope out of her binder and tore the top off before sliding out the neatly folded paper.

She unfolded it half-expecting it to be an invitation from Ms. Marie, inviting her to come talk about the issues of lying and stealing faculty keys to play Sherlock Holmes. I mean, who else would have official Shibusen envelopes and the access to get inside her locker.  
She stared at it stunned when the signature at the bottom was not the messy, airy writing of Ms. Marie but instead a neat cursive spelling out "Kid".

 _ ***snap!***_

"Well, what do we have here?" Stein said with a grin as she snatched the letter out of Maka's hands, "A love letter from the Headmaster's son? Scandalous!"

"That's not what that is!" Maka said, her cheeks burning red as everyone bar the girl who was still scribbling profusely at her notes eyed her. Someone snorted.

"Really?" Stein said as he walked over to his desk before locking it away in one of his desk drawers, "Then I guess I'd better have a better look at it later to better understand what it's all about."

Maka scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he said as he picked up his dry erase marker, "You can come pick it up before lunch, and by 'can' I mean you have no choice but to come see me."  
He laughed to himself before turning back to the board.  
"Now...let's move on to the importance of chlorophyll…"

(Soul)

"Hello! Hello!" Headmaster Death chirped happily as Soul stepped into his office.  
"Why don't you take a seat right here? C'mon, don't be shy now!"

Soul sighed as he sunk into the worn leather armchair.  
"You wanted to meet with me, sir?" he asked.

Headmaster Death folded his hands on his desk and nodded.  
"I'm sure you know about this whole situation, and I would just like to formally apologize about what has happened."

"All is forgiven, sir," Soul said, looking past Death's head to the packed bookcases that stood behind his desk.  
The complete disarray of documents, folders, and books shoved into the shelves was almost hysterical to Soul considering Kid's obsession with organizing the school library day in and day out.

Death tapped his fingers against his desk and cleared his throat.  
"Continuing on, it's been brought to my attention that my son and you aren't exactly getting along too well…Especially given the circumstances of what had happened."

Soul nodded slowly, picking at a piece of yellow foam that poked through a piece of torn leather.

"Well, I'd like to let you know that Kid is extremely sorry for all this to be happening," Death began.  
" _Bullshit,"_ Soul thought sourly.  
"-And his therapist and I decided to take a step in a new direction in amending what has happened," Death continued, "And this is going to heavily rely on you, Mr. Evans."

Soul furrowed his eyebrows.  
"Me?" he questioned, hoping Death wasn't expecting him to write an armistice or something to his son.

"For the duration of this school year, you and Kid will be having lunch and free period together," Death said, nodding, "Under staff supervision of course."

Soul sat stunned. "Is this...I am allowed to turn down this offer?"

"Oh, it's not an offer," Death said, "It's something that has been heavily thought about and decided upon to happen, and it will happen."

"So," Soul said, nervously running a hand through his hair, "You're telling me that from now until June, I'm spending fifth and sixth period alone with your son?"

"Didn't I mention staff supervision?" Death joked before leaning back in his chair with a deep sigh.  
"Soul," he began, exchanging his chippery tone for a more somber one, "I want you to understand that my son needs help, desperately. He needs to stop running away from his problems and trying to cover them up with lies and secrets. He must learn how to face the things that bother him head on and find a solution."

"I understand where you're coming from, sir," Soul said, "But I think Kid that and I are two types people that just don't get along and never will."

Death nodded. "I'm not asking you to end this school year being best friends with my son," he began, "I'm just simply asking you to tolerate my son for an hour and fifteen minutes a day."

" _How simple,"_ Soul thought, rolling his eyes as he imagined the kind of arguments and fights they'd get into.

"I know no matter what I say, you're not going to like this idea," Death said.  
"But trust me, Mr. Evans, in the end, this will not end up being as bad as it seems. In fact, you can take that idea to most aspects in life. With time, things heal and fade away."  
He leaned into his desk closely. "But I think it's going to take a little bit more than that to help my son."

Soul nodded, noticing that Headmaster Death had a lazy eye as he never exactly looked Soul directly in the eye, even when he spoke with such focus.  
"Is that all, sir?" Soul asked.

Death nodded and sank back into his chair.  
"Remember what I told you earlier, Mr. Evans," he said as Soul walked up to the door. "There's something more inside us all, and I don't want you to forget about trying to find that something."

"Have a good day, sir," Soul murmured before opening the door and walking off down the hall.  
He scoffed to himself. " _Absolutely nuts..."_

(Maka)

"He'll be back in a few minutes," he said suddenly, causing Maka to nearly jump back a few feet as she didn't notice that she wasn't completely alone the room.

"You eat lunch in here?" Maka asked as the boy whom she helped earlier sat in the far back corner with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.

"I don't really have any friends…" he said, staring down at his sandwich, "Except Stein. Well...Stein actually just said he can half-tolerate my emotions, and I guess that's the closest I've ever had to a friend."

Maka nodded. " _That's depressing,"_ she thought to herself as she leaned against Stein's desk.  
"I never caught your name, by the way."

"Crona," he said with a small smile.  
"Stein read your letter. He thinks you need to find inner peace before you can deal with outer problems."

"Sounds pretty spirtiual; he really said that?" Maka asked.

"Well…" he said, "He actually said that you need to 'calm the hell down and figure your shit out before you deal with other people's crap,' but I know what he meant."

"That's right!" Stein said as he walked into the room with a foam cup of hot tea in hand.  
"Ah, and she's returned," he said to Maka as he sat his tea down before plopping down into his office chair.

"Alright, let's get this talk over with," she said.

"Whoa, let's take it slow for a minute," Stein said before slowly sipping his tea and taking a deep breath, the steam from his drink fogging up the lower half off his glasses.  
"Alright, so Marie tells me you're having some problems?"

"I never talked to Marie about any problems," Maka said bluntly.

"Oh, that's right, because you ran away and stole her keys," he said, kicking his feet up onto his desk with an accusing stare.

"C'mon, I did it for a good cause!" she said.

Stein laughed. "Okay, I'm not planning on spending my whole lunch period with another emotionally unstable kid, so I'll make this short and simple…"

"What happened to taking things slow?" Crona called out with a mouthful of bread and cheese.

"Oops! Guess things have changed," Stein said as he unlocked his bottom drawer and flaunted the letter in his hand.  
"Let's begin with some slightly shocking news, Maka. I'm not really supposed to be telling you this as of now, but, did you know that you hold the highest GPA among the Sophomore class here? Meaning, if you keep it up, you could graduate valedictorian of your class?"

"Really…?" she said, imagining herself graduating from one of the country's most elite schools with the highest grades in her class. "That's...insane…"

"Now, here's the news," Stein said, "We have a new student transferring over here after winter break who's GPA just happens to be a smidgen higher than yours."

"What?" Maka said. "Are you just bluffing to try and get me worked up to do better?"

Stein shook his head. "No, I'm serious. His name is Oxford from right outside Boston, if I remember correctly. He's a literal genius, even made headlines a few times for academic bowls and spelling bees. Absolutely brilliant, nonetheless, and extremely threatening to your chance of graduating valedictorian!"  
He smiled. "So here's the deal, I'm sure this Oxford kid isn't going to be failing any tests or quizzes anytime soon, but you unfortunately have."

"And…?" Maka sighed, remembering the big fat " _D+"_ written on top of her past biology test packet.

"Well, it's against my policy to allow retakes, but...it isn't against my policy to give extra credit," Stein said, "At least, if the credit is given in balance of the extra work given."

"So, you just want to offer me extra credit?" Maka asked.

"You don't understand how much this one test is going to affect you, Maka," Stein said, "This kid will hands down pass every test he's given with flying colors and you're always going to have this one bad test grade weighing you down!"  
He sighed. "At the end of the school year, after final exams, they rank the students in each class depending on their GPA and exam scores. Whoever is first in the running for each class is almost always guaranteed to graduate valedictorian; it's kind of like a myth amongst the students."

Maka nodded. " _There's no way I'm going to risk graduating valedictorian over one bad test grade…"_ she thought, chewing her lip in concentration.  
"So what's the deal?" she asked.

"Well, first off, I want you to come spend a couple of lunch periods here with me, doing some extra credit research," he began, "But, I'm also signing you up for a few sessions to talk with Marie."

"What, like a counseling session?" Maka questioned. "I don't need-"

"Yes, you need," Stein said, as he eyed her, the glint of the ceiling light causing a glare to reflect in his glasses.  
"Just because you solved this 'case' doesn't mean a certain group of people isn't going to stop bothering you. Trust me, I've been close with the Death family for a while, I know Liz isn't going to stop bugging you, she may even get worse for all I know. The worst part is that she's practically untouchable if she's with Kid."

"And I can't deal with my problems myself?" Maka asked.

"Well, looking back at that failing test grade, I'd give that a solid 'no'," Stein said with a shrug.  
"I'll tell you what, why don't you just try to meet with her at least once before winter break, and then then we'll talk more on the subject later on. Deal?" he asked, outstretching his free hand.

Maka shook it at.  
"Deal," she murmured as Stein handed her the letter.

(Soul)

"Don't apologize," Soul murmured as he laid sprawled out in his unmade bed, idly messing with the drawstring of his hoodie. "I deserve everything that happened…"

Black-Star shook his head as he stood leaning against the ladder of his loft bed, fumbling to button-up his dress shirt after failing a few times at matching up the buttons.

"Dude, you button up your school shirt everyday, why the hell is this so difficult for you?" Soul teased as he sat up with a scoff.

"I'm nervous, okay?" he mumbled, focusing on the last three buttons, "It's the first time I'm taking Tsubaki on a _real_ date."  
He sighed. "But about before-..."

"Don't mention it, alright?" Soul said as he walked over and flipped on the stereo to avoid hearing Black-Star's endless apologizes.

" _...I almost got drunk at school at fourteen  
Where I almost made out with the Homecoming Queen…"_

"What happened made me realize some things," Soul murmured as he cranked up the volume, "There's always some good in the bad, you know?"

Black-Star shrugged.  
"Do you think this cologne will make smell like a douche?" he asked as he held up a small glass bottle with some fancy cursive writing on it.

 _ ***knock!* knock!***_

"I don't know, bro, do you even know what douche smell likes?" Soul asked as walked over to the door.

"Not like an _actual_ douche…" Black-Star muttered as Soul opened the door.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Soul asked as he glanced down the hallways, "If Stein catches you in the guy's dorm, he'll flip."

"Don't worry, he's busy in the teacher's lounge with Marie...you know…" Jackie said as she failed at stifling a giggle.

Soul chuckled and shook his head before closing the door behind him and leaning against it.  
"So, what's up?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Jackie shrugged. "Look, I just wanted to apologize-..."

"Oh, definitely not!" Soul laughed, "That's all I've been hearing all day. Whatever happened happened, and it's okay now. Thanks, though."

"It's just the, the kiss at the party...I wasn't thinking straight," she said, "I shouldn't have drank that much."

"No, you shouldn't have," Soul joked. "But it's cool, I was pretty hammered too."

Jackie nodded as she involuntarily picked at her black-coated nails.  
"So, I was wondering if you wanted to meet up sometime this week? Get a coffee or something? I mean...you don't have too…"

He smiled. "You're a pretty okay girl, Jackie."

"Is that a yes?" she giggled.

Soul nodded.  
"I'll give you a call," he said.

" _Ugh!"_ Black-Star called out from inside the room.  
" _This cologne definitely smells like a douche."_

"What's going on in there?" Jackie laughed as Soul loudly sighed.

"A probably failed attempt at not smelling like a douche. Not a literal one, though," he joked.

Jackie laughed.  
"Stunning."

(Maka)

"Hey," she muttered, standing in the pristine aisle of bookshelves in the library. The yellowed lighting of the low hanging ceiling lamps offering the only light as the night sky remained a deep, midnight blue behind the gray clouds that emitted a few flurries of wet slush.

"Hey," Kid said back, not bothering to look up at her as he picked a stack of books up off a nearby cart and placed them on the shelves... in color coded order, of course.  
"Surprised I'm not behind bars…?"

She rocked on her heels in the awkward silence.  
"I assumed your father would keep you and Liz out of, you know…" she murmured.

"Can't say the same for Daniel…" he murmured.  
"I assume you got my letter, unless you're just here because you just normally are…"

Maka nodded.  
"I got it...what'd you want to talk to me about?"

Kid slammed a thick textbook on the shelf, nearly rattling the whole shelf itself.  
"Why'd you help him?" he asked, standing still as he still clutched the book's spine,  
"Why'd you let this happen to me?"

"I did this for you,…" she muttered as Kid shook his head. "I wanted to help you…"

"And you do it by nearly ruining not only my reputation, but my father's and his entire livelihood!" he whispered fiercely, finally making eye contact.  
"I loved you too, Maka, but you've absolutely betrayed me!"

Maka stood stunned.  
"Love? What do you mean you 'loved' me?"

"I did," he said before returning his attention back to organizing the books. "But that was before you decided to side with the boy who berated you and your father and my girlfriend…" he said, growing angrier with each word that left his mouth. "That fucking bastard…"

" _Oh, bullshit!"_ Maka said, desperately wanting to shout it in his face if they weren't standing in the middle of the school library, "All you've done is slept with Liz, used me in your dumb little plan, and threatened to hurt me if I went against it!"

"I have to protect myself and those I care about, Maka," he said, eyeing her carefully. "I protected you, too. I never mentioned you were there when the gun was fired, I made sure Jackie was with someone who I knew wouldn't harm her, I even kept it a secret from Liz that you kissed me at the party."

"Oh, what a Prince Charming!" Maka sneered.  
"God, why the hell are men such idiots! They do so much bad shit, walk away from it, and deny it ever happened without even denying it all! You guys don't make any sense!"

"Hmph," Kid scoffed to himself, "Looks like it's _someone's_ time of the month."

" _Excuse me?"_ Maka said, glaring at Kid.

He laughed.  
"Admit it, Maka, you're absolutely head over heels for me, and it just frustrates you so much that you can't have me," he said, leaning against the book cart.  
"You think I'm absolutely perfect…"

She grabbed a book off the shelf and chucked it at him but was only successful in having it bounce off his shoulder. "Not this time," he murmured as he picked the book off the floor with a blank expression on his face.  
"Your collar is crooked, by the way."

"You're an asshole," Maka spat as hot tears began to trickle down her cheeks.  
No way this was the same boy who danced with her Homecoming night and talked with her out on the school balcony.  
"Men are so fickle," she said, completely crumpling the note she still clutched in her hand.  
"And you're wrong; I didn't like you," she whispered, "I liked that act you put on. The real you is a monster."

"You don't mean that," Kid said, keeping his blank expression plastered on his face as he stared at her with eyes that no longer appeared golden but instead a dull light brown.

"I hope you burn in hell!" she shouted, not caring if Ms. Leech came over here and beat her down with that pink plastic ruler she always swung around.  
"I hope they take you and lock away with your brother because that's where you belong! You're a psycho!" she screamed before running off.

"Going to cry to that white-haired bastard?" he called out as she ran off down the vertical aisle, "Because if I'm such a big prick, than just know he's a bigger one."

Maka spun on her ankle and faced him as angry tears stained her cheeks.  
"At least he's real," she said taking a few steps backwards, "He knows he's a dick, he owns it, that's what he does. You, you're a fake! You're whole get-up is just a mask off the monster you are!"  
"I hate you so much," she whispered before finally leaving.

Kid stood there long after the library doors slammed shut, staring down at the floor.  
He laughed suddenly and nearly doubled over before wiping the tears off the corners of his eyes.  
"If she believes I'm such a monster now, she'll think I'm the devil-incarnate soon enough…"

(Soul)

Flurries of thin, wet snowflakes fluttered about in the cool, early December breeze. A light frost that speckled the yellowed grass glistened in a fluorescent white light emitted by holiday lights wound around thick bunches of shrubbery. The air smelled fresh and faintly of rosemary.

"Hey, princess" he teased, peering out from the underneath of his hood as he leaned against a metal lamppost which emitted a circle of yellow light in the dark.  
He watched as she stomped over angrily, her wet cheeks and red eyes becoming more visible the closer she got.

Maka clenched her fists.  
"Why are men assholes?" she said suddenly, not looking as threatening as she had wanted to appear in her light pink, coat and pigtails.  
"Why are _you_ such an asshole?" she yelled.

"Why the sudden care?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Because things need to change around here, alright?!" she demanded, marching closer.  
"All you ever do is pick on people and think you're such a cool guy, and you even know that you're such an asshole, but-..."

"But-" Soul interrupted, staring hard into her eyes.  
"I need to be a real fucking man and start realizing what a selfish prick I am, right?"

Maka bit her lip and shrugged as she let her guard down and straightened up.  
"I mean, I wasn't going to be that harsh about it…"

Soul rubbed his forehead. "Trust me, I've gotten a lot of shit about myself for my past week off."

"Guessing your Thanksgiving break wasn't that fun, huh?" she said, staring down at her boots as she wiped at her wet eyes.

He laughed. "I'd say it was below average, but probably not the absolute worst."

"You've had a worst Thanksgiving than going home after you got busted for being at some raging teen-party where you were accused of firing a gun?" she grinned with a small sniffle.

"Let remind you that you were also at this raging teen party," he teased with a side smirk, "And nothing beats the Thanksgiving after my parent's died."

"Oh…" Maka murmured, picking at the edge of her skirt.  
"I'm sorry I kind of just came here and started yelling at you, I just got into a huge fight...and I swear I'm not like this because I'm on my period."  
She smacked herself in the face and sighed. "I...I just want to make things easier for everyone around here…"

"Don't be sorry," Soul whispered, shaking his head.  
"I was a complete ass and I don't blame you for thinking all those crappy things about me because of it. I was a crappy person."  
He shrugged. "I'm sorry you're kind off having a rough night…"

She smiled. "Thanks...I guess…"  
"So, can we be cool now? You're gonna try to be a better person?" she asked.

He leaned off the lamppost and outstretched his hand. "As long as you promise to not march over like you're gonna kill me anymore," he teased.  
"Let's just have a fresh start," he said as Maka put her hand in his, "Whatever happened in the past stays in the past."

They shook on it.

(Somewhere else on campus, later that night...)

" _It'll be easy,"_ she whispered as she sat under the unboarded window of girl's dorm's top floor, clicking away at a bulky, outdated laptop that sat in her lap.  
" _I mean, he's practically famous...at least his brother is, I mean."_

He nodded. " _Where's he from again? New England?"_

She nodded.  
" _Right outside Boston…"_ she murmured.

" _Boston…"_ he said with a firm nod.  
" _I have a friend transferring here in January from around there…"_ he said, crouching over the computer.  
" _Was that his old High School?"_ he asked, pointing to a picture on the screen.

" _Yeah. Why?"_ she said with a smile, " _You onto something?"_

" _That's where Ox is coming from...the student that's transferring here…"_ he said as something clicked in his mind.

" _You're kidding me?"_ she said with a snort, " _Do you think he's got any crap on him? God, we gotta just to run this kid into the dirt."_

" _He deserves it,"_ Kid said as he fiddled with a strand of Liz's long, blonde hair.  
" _Soul Evans is going to regret messing with us."_

 _To be continued..._

Hey guys...everything going good?  
I just wanted to let you guys know that I might not be uploading too much for the next month since I have midterms coming up.. promise I'll try to write anytime I can... :p  
Anyways, thanks for reading and please R&R...see you next chap :)


	10. Chapter 10: Dragons and Honey Mustard

A/N: Everytime I try to write 'clock' I accidently write 'cock' and it's making me very uncomfortable.

Chapter 10:

(Soul)

A heavy layer of snow now covered the entirety of Death City as the monotonous sound of snow plows and shovels scraping against the concrete sidewalks occupied the city.

Stein's classroom door swung open, breaking a subtle silence that rested in the biology room as a faint scent of smoke wafted in.  
"Sorry I'm late," Soul murmured as he plopped down into an empty desk next to Kid who sat stiffly, staring intently at the clock that hung over the chalkboard.

"You've been smoking," Kid muttered without moving his eyes.

Soul threw his hands up over his head and leaned back into his chair with a smirk.  
"You have a hickey on one side of your neck and not the other."

"It's not a hickey!" Kid shrieked as Stein slammed his fist on his desk, rattling his foam cup of tea and causing a few drops to slosh onto his papers.

"Excuse me," Stein said sternly with a somber stare, "Can we please not act like children in my classroom?"

"Oh, c'mon!" Soul said with a dissatisfied face, "Can't you see how much of a prick this guy is? He has the balls to call me out for having a cigarette when he probably downs a whole container of his special 'calm me down' pills!"

"That's a blatant lie!" Kid whispered fiercely as he gripped the edges of his desk. "You don't know shit!"

"Might want to down another case, cause they sure ain't fucking working!" Soul said maliciosuly.

"Alright, alright!" Stein called out, pressing against his forehead as if the whole argument physically pained it him. (Which it did).

"You two," he began, "The whole problem with both of you is that you're too blinded by pointing out each other's flaws that you can't see your own!"

"I know my issues!" Soul said as slammed his hands against his desk and stood up, the sound of the chair scratching against the tile floor filling the room. "But that asshole-"

"Then fucking fix them!" Stein said as Soul clenched his hands into fists and slowly sat back down.  
"And that isn't some 'asshole' sitting next to you," Stein continued, "He has a name and his own personal problems. It disgusts me how you brought up his mental issues to try and redeem yourself."  
He took a sharp breath.  
"No matter how much you yell and scream at each other, it won't make either of you more right."

Kid stared blankly as he scratched at the side of his neck.  
"Professor, we've been at this for a week and I don't believe that forcing me to sit next to this _imbecile_ for a few hours each school day will do me any sort of good. My father doesn't quite understand- "

Professor Stein shot him a hard glance.  
"And you…" he began, breaking of Kid's sentence, "You don't think I know anything about you or your father and or anything like that, but trust me I do. Your father and I go a long way back. And let me tell you something that you don't quite understand about yourself…"

"Go on, then," Kid challenged.  
"I didn't know your degree in biology entailed being a master of psychology."

"God…" Stein scoffed with an irritated grin.  
"Do you ever really look at yourself?" he asked, tapping his fingers against his desk, "I mean other than focusing on how neatly combed your hair is or how even looking your eyebrows are?"

"Of course," Kid muttured.

Stein ceased his tapping and pointed at Kid.  
"You're a liar," he said with a hurtful bite.  
"All you care about is your image and this goes beyond your illness. You don't pay attention to how you act to other people because you think you're better than them all, and if you go a little too far it's all 'no worries' because you know your father will break his back to protect you."  
He leaned onto his deck and took a deep breath.  
"Your father should have let you go to jail just to learn what real consequences in the real world are."

"You don't know anything," Kid whispered through clenched teeth.

"Is your only defence feigning ignorance in others?" Stein laughed.  
"And what else you don't know is that I was the one who sat up all night with your father trying to save your sorry ass from jail while you were doing who-knows-what with your girlfriend back at your mansion."

Kid suddenly stood.  
"I'm excusing myself," he said as he began to walk out.

"You're angry because you know I'm right," Stein said, crossing his arms and leaning against the chalkboard.  
"You're spoiled and think you're untouchable, but you're not. You need to take a good look at the people you surround yourself with, and at the people you're pushing away while you ask yourself, 'Who will really be here for me when my father isn't?'"

Kid paused in the doorway.  
"I don't need anyone, I can handle myself."  
He walked out.

Soul laughed and ruffled his hair.  
"If he can just walk the hell out, then I'm gone," he said before standing up and leaving, taking the faint scent of cigarette scent with him as well as the tension that lingered in the air.

"I don't know why all the crazies gravitate over to my room," Professor Stein muttered to himself as he plopped back down into his swiveling chair.

"Maybe it's because you're nuts, too," Crona remarked nonchalantly as he sat in the far back of the classroom, remaining nearly invisible during the whole ordeal due to his silence.

Professor Stein shrugged as he paused to take a sip of his tea that had know gone cold.  
"Fair enough, I suppose."

(Maka)

" _...First class suit and tie…  
...Can talk my way out of anything…  
...We find the defendant guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty…"_

Maka laid out on the matted rug amidst stacks of books as the loud humming of the heater nearly drowned out her music.

 _ ***knock!* *knock!***_

She sighed as she got up and tiptoed over stray paperclips and highlighters to the door.

"Jackie…" Maka murmured, half-stunned.

"Mind if I come in for a minute?" Jackie asked, standing outside the door in a cut-up band shirt and batman sweatpants.

"Yeah, 'course," Maka said.  
"Sorry it's a bit of a mess."

"Don't worry about it…" Jackie giggled as she plopped down on Maka's bed.  
"Not surprised you're spending your Friday night studying."

"I'm surprised you're not spending your Friday night going out…" Maka shrugged with a faint smile.  
"So, why'd you come around? Not to be rude or anything…."

Jackie sighed and stared at her feet.  
"I just feel so bad about everything that happened...You were kinda right about everything…"

"Really? I honestly feel bad for being such a prude…" Maka laughed, sitting back down on her rug.

"Maybe we all need to find a balance," Jackie joked with a shrug.  
She sighed and shook her head.  
"Look, I really came here because I just wanted to know if we're still 'okay'? It's fine if you think I'm some complete trashy whore who you don't want to be around…"

"Of course not, Jackie," Maka said.  
"And I'm sorry I screamed at you about being with Soul and that whole argument…  
He's not that bad of a guy. A bit of a dick, but definitely not a Class A Douchebag."

Jackie giggled.  
"So we're cool, right?"

Maka nodded with a smile, looking up as she picked the frayed edges of the rug.  
"Definitely."

"Hey," Jackie said suddenly with a wide grin as she criss-crossed her legs, "Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I'm actually kinda swamped with biology work…" Maka murmured, eyeing the books that sat in stacks around her.  
She sighed. "But, I guess I can take a break; you got something planned?"

"Yeah, but don't be afraid to tell me if you don't wanna go," she said.

Maka nodded.

"So tomorrow I'm going out with Soul, and I was wondering if you wanted to double up?" Jackie asked uncertainly with a shy smile. "I know Killik is probably free…"

Maka shrugged and glanced over to her desk where the picture he had taken of her hung over her desk with his number still scribbled onto the back of the film.  
"Sure...why not?"

Jackie giggled.

(Maka)

"I don't know..." Kim said as she walked down the abandoned railroad track, arms stretched out horizontally while she turned her nose up to take a deep breath of the fresh winter air.  
"I guess I just don't really trust any guys with Jackie; she's sensitive you know?"

Maka giggled as the sound of faint music playing off her IPod mixed in with the noise of the worn-down steel that creaked under her feet.  
The railroad seemed to stretch out for miles ahead in front of her, the only indication she wasn't walking through a constant time loop was the sight of the old water tower slowly growing closer and closer the farther down she walked.

" _...Show me, show me, show me a starry-eyed kid  
I, I, I will break his jaw  
I won't, I won't, I won't let him get his hopes up  
No, oh, oh, oh…"_

"I think you just don't trust Jackie with any guys," Maka teased as a cold breeze caused her to grip her jacket a little tighter as wisps of her blonde hair tickled her cheeks.

"I just know Jackie can do so much better…" Kim murmured, watching her mud-crusted sneakers as she walked. "At least better than Soul Evans."

Maka shrugged as Kim tilted her head back up and whistled along to the song.  
Flurries of snowflakes began to float down the sky as a small cloud clearing up ahead showed the bright, early-sunset that glistened against the shards of broken glass which were most likely from the shattered windows of the paint-chipped garages that lined the railroad a few yards away.

"He doesn't seem that bad…" Maka said as Kim stretched her arms up in an attempt to crack her back, causing her baggy jacket sleeves to roll down to her elbows.  
"Your wrists are all slit…" Maka whispered as Kim scoffed.

"Don't worry about it," Kim muttered before pulling her jacket sleeves back up. "It's from a few months ago...I promised myself I wouldn't do it again."

Maka silently nodded, focusing on the long black shadow that lingered behind Kim from the far-off sunset.

Kim smirked.  
"Maka, remember a few months ago when Liz kept giving me crap and decided to spray paint my locker and do petty shit?"

"Yeah…" Maka murmured, remembering the black can of spray paint she found in the attic.

"Would you pissed if you found out if I really was a dyke?" Kim said with a subtle trace of sadness in her voice.  
"Like, if you trusted me as your friend and knew that after all the times we changed clothes in front of each other in the locker room, or slept in the same bed during a sleepover, or even shared bras that you wouldn't be mad I was attracted to girls?"

Maka's eyes widened.  
"No, of course I wouldn't be upset…" she said even though she couldn't remember one time she had done those things with Kim.

Kim spun on her ankle to face her as she thrusted her hands into her pockets.  
"I like you, Maka, you're a real good friend," she said as she walked backwards, thankfully not tripping over the railroad rungs.  
"No homo, though."

(Maka)

"Catching a cold?" Soul asked as he leaned back against the worn red leather booth, the scent of coffee and burger grease filling the air along with the sounds of out-dated sixties rock.

Maka shrugged as she attempted to repress her runny nose with a sniffle.  
"A bit…" she giggled.

"This is a pretty cool place your grandparent's own, Jackie..." Killik murmured as he busied himself with stacking the creamer containers into miniature castles.  
"How long they've owned it for?"

"Since they were in their late twenties or something, I think…" Jackie murmured as she poked his creation with her straw, causing the somewhat cone-shaped containers to tumble over and roll about on the table.  
"How's school going?"

Killik shrugged.  
"Well, some asshole decided to switch out our teacher's DVD copy of _Schoolhouse Rock_ with some American History roleplay porn tape," he sighed.  
"Apparently George Washington's teeth weren't the only thing that's hard wood…"

Soul pursed his lips and nodded.  
"Maybe I'm thankful my parents never sent me to public school…" he murmured as Jackie suppressed a small giggle.

"We don't even do anything in class half the time; we spent chemistry class today making mini paint bombs from paint we stole out of the art room cause our teacher fell asleep halfway through his own lecture..." Killik laughed to himself.

"Hey…" Maka said suddenly, eyes widening as she peered over to a table nearby on the opposite wall just a few paces back from their own booth.  
"You don't think that's…"

Killik looked over in her line of sight before burying his face in his hands with a small chuckle.  
"Oh shit…" he whispered into his hands, "But it one-hundred percent is."

"Who is it?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow as Jackie peered over her shoulder.  
"Kid and Liz…" she murmured before quickling whipping her head around.

"Are you fucking serious?" Soul asked. "They must've followed us or some shit, I doubt the Headmaster's son would have the humility to eat at an ancient 60's diner."

"Hey!" Jackie said, furrowing her brows. "My grandparents own this place and the 60's happened to be a very good time period for them!"

Maka sighed.  
"They definitely know we're over here…" she said as Kid glared at her from his table before whispering something to Liz.

"Ah man," Killik laughed, "We have to find a way to mess with their asses…"

"Why?" Jackie pleaded, "They'll just hit us back ten times worse if we do anything."

"Oh c'mon, I can take the fall for it if anything…" Killik said as he smiled to Soul.

"Psh," Soul murmured with a smirk.  
"I'm done with that crap; I ain't startin shit."

Killik picked up a fry and flicked it at him.  
"Is little Soul afraid the Headmaster's son is gonna beat him up behind the gym after lunch because he pulled a sorry little prank on him? Poor baby!?" he teased as Soul whipped the fry back at him with a chuckle.  
"I bet you 20$ you can't do something to piss Liz or Kid off without completely giving away it was you."

"Guys...please don't…" Jackie murmured as she stirred one of her chicken tenders in a blob of honey mustard.

"Is that a challenge?" Soul said with a smirk.

"Men are such idiots," Maka said, shaking her head.  
"He obviously just challenged you because he knew you'd do it if he did! And besides they'd definitely know it was him because-"

Soul stuck his hand out and plopped it over her mouth.  
"You got any of those mini paint bombs you made in chemistry today?"

Killik smiled and reached into his pocket before pulling a small, royal-blue covered one.  
"You need to light the fuse in order to make them go off. Got your lighter on you, buddy?"

"Don't need mine…" Soul murmured before gesturing for a nearby waitress to come over.

"Need something?" the waitress asked cheerfully with a smile that showed off her freckled dimples as she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Refills? Dessert?"  
She inched a few inches closer as she glanced at the rest of the group.  
"Some condoms?" she whispered.

Soul shook his head.  
"Uh no...I actually need you to do a favor for a friend of mine," he whispered.  
"Don't look now, but there's a blonde chick sitting with a dude who's wearing some fancy black blazer, know who I'm talking about? Sitting behind us by the window?"  
The waitress quickly glanced over and nodded. Soul motioned for her to come even closer before whispering something in her ear and pulling out a twenty dollar bill.  
"Keep the change, thanks," Soul murmured as the waitress took the bill with a quick wink and then wandered off.

"What was that?" Killik asked as Soul slid out of the booth.

Soul smirked.  
"You know how at Red Lobster or some where they surprise you on your birthday with a free piece of cake and the staff sing you Happy Birthday and all that shit?" he said.

"Soul!" Jackie said as she playfully punched his arm, "You did not! My grandparent's will be pissed!"

"I need to run by the kitchen," Soul said as he dropped the paint bomb into his jacket pocket and ran off.

"He did not just bribe the waitress 20$ to do that…" Maka said as she watched Soul make his way down the aisle after shooting Kid a suspicious glance.

"I hope he didn't do that because he thinks I'm gonna pay him back…" Killik laughed, shaking his head.

"That was the bet, though, wasn't it?" Maka asked.

Killik chuckled.  
"Okay, there's no way Soul's going to sneak into the kitchen and strategically replace the candle with the paint bomb in a way the staff won't notice.  
Besides, you're forgetting a group of sixteen year-olds who are failing chemistry made those paint bombs with instructions off some shitty Youtube video from 2008.  
I highly doubt that paintball is going to actually blow-up in Liz's face."

(Soul)

"I can't believe how perfectly that paint bomb blew up in Liz's face!" Soul laughed loudly as he and Maka made their way down the cracked concrete sidewalk, frost crunching beneath their feet as the far off noises of limelight music and car horns sounded through the city.

Maka huffed and rolled her eyes.  
"I can't believe you blew it off in Mr. and Mrs. Dupre's restaurant…"

"Blowing up a paint bomb in their diner was a crappy first date move, huh?" Soul questioned as he shoved the crinkled bill into his pocket.

"No shit…" Maka said as Soul laughed louder, kicking an empty beer can and causing it to ricochet against an empty trash bin with a _***thud!***_  
"I can't believe you just left her to help her grandparents clean up alone," she muttured.

"Hey, Killik's over there helping her out, and she told me not to worry about it..." he said.  
"Besides, you technically left her there alone, too."

Maka sighed.  
"Soul, no matter how hard you try, you're always gonna be a bit of a selfish dick," she teased.

"Damn," he chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets with a sly grin as they rounded a corner to the main street of Death City which was over-crowded with people carrying Christmas-themed shopping bags and cups of coffee.  
He nudged his chin to a nearby Starbucks. "Hey, I think I'm gonna run in and get a latte, you want something?"

Maka shook her head.  
"No thanks, you go ahead, though."

"You sure?" Soul asked as they paused outside the building.  
"It's still kinda early in the night if you just wanna hang around here for a bit."

"It's cool, I should really head back now and finish up some homework." Maka said with a shrug.

"Positive you don't want to at least wait for me to walk you back to Shibusen?" he said as the chime of the bell above the door jingled while people flooded in and out of the shop.

"Definitely, I'll see you around, Soul," Maka called out as she jogged off down the city sidewalk, carefully dodging patches of ice.

Soul shrugged as he pushed the door open, causing the bell to jingle once again.  
"See ya, then, I guess."

(Maka)

"Oh, hey," Maka said as she paused in the hallway of the girl's dorm.  
"What are you doing around here?"

Crona shrugged as he sat curled up outside the door of Marie's office with a small notebook in his hand.  
"Ms. Marie lets me hang out here with her a lot," he began, "the kids living in the boy's dorm don't really like me too much. They think I'm a wuss."

"Aw, that's not true, Crona," Maka said as she knelt down in front of him.  
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot of cool things about you."

Crona shrugged and held up his small notebook.  
"Ms. Marie gave me this notebook to write my feelings in. I make a lot of poems about the inner dark depths of my personality and my visual insight of life outside my personal bubble.  
Or sometimes about dragons...I think dragons are cool..."

Maka pursed her lips into a tight smile and nodded.  
"T-that's so...wonderful…" she stuttered as the sound of laughter came up from the nearby staircase along with the creaking of the old floor boards.

"Hello, Maka…" Professor Stein whistled as he walked into the hall next to Ms. Marie along with another man standing close behind them.  
"Maka?" the man said with a subtle hint of confusion and awe as he stepped out quickly from behind Stein and into Maka's line of sight, showing off his custodian uniform and causing his chin-length red hair to sway.

Maka abruptly stood as the man froze in shock before she darted down the corridor, leaving them all alone in hallway with the distant sound of her room door locking shut.

 _To be continued…_

A/N: Haha, sorry these chapters are a bit shorter...thanks so much to everyone who wished me good luck on my finals, I actually don't have them until after winter break, it's just all the end of the semester projects and essays that are stressing me the hell out... :[  
But, as always, thanks so much for reading and please R&R...:D see ya guys next chapter :)


	11. Chapter 11: Ceramics and Lemon Cleaner

A/N: Just decided to write a short fluffy chapter for you guys…thanks for reading :)

Chapter 11:

(Maka)

"Maka! I thought you'd never come..." Ms. Marie said cheerfully as she stopped typing on her bulky laptop to look up with a wide smile, motioning for Maka to take a seat in front of her desk with her hand. "Want a Munchkin?"

"No thanks," Maka said with a small laugh as she sat down.

"All packed up for winter break?" Marie hummed as she closed her laptop and took off her reading glasses.

Maka nodded, shifting uncomfortable as the fabric of the chair seat itched her thighs.

"So...what finally brought you here?" Marie asked, tucking a stray strand of her honey blonde hair behind her ear. "I hope you're not going to ask me for another cup of tea…unless you _really_ want one, of course."

Maka chuckled.  
"I don't know…" she shrugged with a slight smile, "Stein's been wanting me to come, and he's been really naggy about it this past week…"  
"I know there's something you want to talk to me about, and I'm also pretty sure I know what it is."

Marie nodded slowly.  
"Why don't we start with what you came to talk to me about, Maka? Anything troubling you that you'd want to talk about?"

She shrugged again and crossed her arms.  
 _Her father. Her grades. Kid._  
Of course there were a million things troubling her, but how could Stein or Marie expect her to just open up and spill out all her emotions to someone she's never really talked to before?  
"I don't know…" she began. "I just feel like if I focus on my schoolwork I lose touch with my friends, and if I focus on my friends I start to fall behind…"

"Do you feel like you've changed since you first came to school here, Maka?" Marie asked to break the silence that followed her last question as she gingerly folded her hands across her desk.

Maka nodded. "Definitely. I never really had friends before I came to school her, but I was fine with that. I used to read a lot, and I thought books were all the adventure and fun I ever needed…"

"Books are a great thing…" Marie agreed.  
"But, sometimes it's better to experience your own adventures and fun; live your own stories."

Maka thought about this for a moment.  
"I guess I see that a bit now…" she said, absentmindedly tracing the plaid pattern on her uniform skirt, "But, sometimes it's just hard… being friends with people, I mean."

"What makes you think that?" Marie asked.

"Sometimes people aren't who you think they are…" Maka muttured.

"This is about Kid, isn't it?" Marie whispered, her smile melting smaller as her expression became a bit more serious.

Maka took a deep breath.  
"He wasn't exactly my first friend here," she murmured, "But I feel like he was the first person who really understood me. Like, my silence never bothered him. We could hang out together and have a good time without really doing anything, but then he wasn't that person anymore…"

"Kid's going through a really rough time…" Marie said.  
"I know what it's like to love someone for a really long time and then suddenly see them change before your eyes, to see them struggle mentally…," she sighed.  
"But, believe me, the Kid you knew before is still there."

Maka looked hard into Ms. Marie's eyes.  
She was always so chipper and positive, it was hard to imagine her feeling the same way she did now…  
She sighed and sunk into the chair, and with each breath she noticed little by little that there seemed to be something a bit off about Marie.

"It's glass," Marie said suddenly before popping a doughnut hole in her mouth. "The color doesn't exactly match my other, but I think it's close enough."

"What?" Maka asked confused.

Marie giggled.  
"You're staring at my face, I mean, more intently than usual," she said, dusting powdered sugar off her fingertips, "My right eye is fake, long story why. I thought you were wondering about it…"

Maka shrugged.

"Maka, there's something I want you to do before you leave for winter break tomorrow," Marie said, changing the subject, "You don't have to if you think it's absolutely impossible for you to do, but I really feel you should this."

Maka sucked in a sharp breath and closed her eyes.  
" _Here we go…" she thought to herself._

"Take this," Marie said as Maka's eyes suddenly fluttered open to reveal Marie holding out a small Christmas card.

"A card?" Maka said, slowly taking the it and studying the cartoony snowman printed on the cover before flipping it open to see the blank inside.

"I want you to write your father something tonight," Marie began, "It doesn't have to be something really long or extremely sentimental. You can drop it off here tomorrow morning, and I'll make sure it gets over to him."

"You mean you're not going to make me go face to face with him?" Maka asked, holding the card in disbelief.

Marie chuckled. "I think this is just a good first step."

(Soul)

"Thought I'd find you here," Soul said as he walked down the aisle, his combat boots squeaking against the checkered marble tiles of the school library. "You busy?"

"A bit…" Maka said, staring at the blank card that sat on the table in front of her. "What's up?"

"I need you to come to the mall with me," he said, sitting on top of the table before stretching his arms up to crack his back.

"It's two days before Christmas, the mall is going to be jammed," Maka said, "And I really need to write this card before tomorrow morning."

"C'mon," he begged, leaning back on his arms, "Jackie let it slip earlier today that she got me something for Christmas, and I'll look like a total prick if I don't get her anything."

"You didn't get your girlfriend anything for Christmas?" she said loudly, only to then be hushed by Ms. Leech who shot her a deadly glance as she passed down the aisle with a book cart.

"I didn't think we were that serious yet. I didn't want to come off as overbearing or whatever," he whispered, "Please help me out? I'll call an uber to drive us over, I promise it won't take more than an hour."

Maka sighed, half-wanting to smash her pen over his head for being such an idiot.  
"Fine," Maka said, standing abruptly and sliding the card into her backpack, "No more than one hour."

Soul smirked and slid off the table. "Deal."

(Maka)

"The Killers," Soul murmured as they shuffled through Spencer's, the store smelling slightly like weed as music boomed through the speakers.

" _...Looking back at sunsets on the East side  
We lost track of the time…"_

"Never heard of them," Maka said as she examined the racks filled with mugs and pins covered in sarcastic remarks or Harry Potter symbols.

"Seriously?" Soul laughed. "I bet you know a few of their songs if you just heard the beat…"

"Doubt it," Maka said as she stood on her toes to thumb through a stack of t-shirts. "I don't really listen to music too much, it's not my thing."

"Not your thing?" Soul said shocked, wanting to defend how literally awesome music was until something else caught his eye.  
"Hey, Princess," he began suddenly with sly tone.

"Yeah?" she sighed, just waiting to hear what the brilliant Soul Evans would say next.

"I bet you ten bucks you won't be able to last five minutes in the 18+ section," he laughed, pointing over to thick red curtains and a sign that clearly read 'Mature'.

"I'm not playing your dumb games," she scoffed.

"Oh c'mon, you won't go because you're too much of a goodie two shoes," he teased.

"I am not falling for your stupid comments!" she said as she whipped the t-shirt at him but missed by a few inches.  
"And I'm not a goodie two shoes; what if I get arrested or something for being in there?"

Soul nearly doubled over in laughter.  
"That just proves you are one hundred percent a goodie two shoes!" he said, "Do you think the cops are going to bust into here and say, 'oh fuck, teenager in aisle 4 looking at tits even though she has them herself, better cuff her'. Looks like someone's a C-O-W-A-R-D."

Maka slammed down her backpack and stomped over to the curtains before practically ripping them open and stepping inside.  
And then there she was, in her little schoolgirl uniform and blonde pigtails (that she unfortunately tied with up with red ribbons), standing among racks and racks of very interesting items. Luckily, the only other person back there with her was a man who had to be no older than thirty checking out the back of some DVD case.

She backed up against a wall that displayed a variety of posters and whistled as she rocked on her heels, half-angry at herself for desperately hoping the mall security won't come here and bust her. Maybe she was a coward.

"Um...you know this is the 18+ section, right?" said an employee that seemed to appear out of nowhere next to Maka.

"Oh, uh, I didn't notice that," Maka said as she wondered if all the piercings on the employee's face were real. "I was just looking for a Christmas gift...for my grandfather…."

The employee pursed her pierced lips and shook her head, causing her dyed violet curls to bounce. "Your...grandfather?"

"Yeah, uh, he's just really into weird things that I just happened to be so absorbed in getting him something he liked that I wandered into here!" she lied, before picking up a small ceramic sculpture.  
"Ah! This sculpture is exactly what I've been looking for! I'm going to go pay for it now! Thanks! Bye!" she said rushed before hurrying out of the curtained area and back over to Soul.

"Why are you all red-faced and holding a sexy Spanish Mrs. Clause?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow as Maka slung her backpack on.

"Let's just go now," she said as Soul took the Mrs. Claus sculpture.  
"No, wait, I'm so going to get this."

"Soul! Why?" she asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"Not for me, dumbass!" he laughed, "Gives me another idea…"

"Fine, but I'm heading over to Hot Topic where they sell Jackie's band merch without a section dedicated to porn posters and ceramic dick sculptures," Maka said angrily as she stomped out of the store.

Soul shook his head and chuckled. "Suit yourself."

(Soul)

"So you really don't like listening to music?" Soul asked as they stood under the huge Christmas tree display in the mall center, sipping hot chocolate while they laughed at some desperate kiosk vendor who was literally chasing people down the corridor in an attempt to gain some business.

Maka shrugged as the paper cup warmed her fingers.  
"Sometimes, I usually just like quiet. I used to listen to classical music to help me fall asleep at night, but I think Jackie's taste in music is rubbing off on me a bit."

Soul nodded as he reached down to his backpack that was sitting on the floor next to a few shopping bags before pulling a scratched CD case out of its front pocket.  
"Here," he said, holding it out with his free hand as he held his hot chocolate in the other.

Maka took it and laughed. "What, is it like a mixtape?"

Soul chuckled. "Kinda…?"  
"Black-Star and I have an old stereo up in our room so I burned some of my favorite songs onto the CD to listen to," he paused to take a sip, "I put it in my bag so I wouldn't forget to take it home with me, but I can live without it for the next few weeks."

"I can't just take this from you…" she said as she scanned the back of the CD.

"Don't worry about it, you can borrow it for break if you promise to not smash it under your stacks of textbooks or slam it against the wall in one of your angry fits," he teased.  
"And when you come back you can tell me if you like music a little bit more."

Maka rolled her eyes.  
"Thanks," she said as she scanned the list of songs written in smudged Sharpie marker on the back of the case.

 _Track List:_

 _Under Pressure - Queen_

 _Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand_

 _Bored to Death - Blink-182_

 _Mr. Brightside - The Killers_

 _R U Mine? - The Arctic Monkeys_

 _Brain Stew - Green Day_

 _Other Side - The Red Hot Chili Peppers_

"Does this CD also come with a free pack of skinny cigarettes and a carton of boxed water?" she teased, turning the case over in her hands.

Soul laughed and shook his head.  
"Don't judge until you've really listened."

(Maka)

"So what's so important about that card…?" Soul asked, as they walked through the courtyard of Shibusen, fresh snow falling down from the night sky and melting against the heat of Maka's cheeks. "You seemed pretty into writing it on the way home in the uber."

Maka shrugged as she adjusted her backpack strap.  
"It's for someone special, I guess."

"Oh," Soul said.  
"For your boyfriend back home?"

"What?" Maka said, whipping her head to face him.

"What?" Soul echoed, as he furrowed his brows.  
"You don't have a boyfriend?"

"No," Maka huffed as they walked briskly down the cement path towards the boy's dorm, "What made you think I did?"

"I don't know, you just never show any interest in anyone," he said, "I actually thought you were dating Kid at first, but after I found out you guys were just friends I assumed it was because you had a guy back home."

"Well I don't have a boyfriend, and I'm definitely not interesting in having one anytime soon," she said, crossing her arms.

Soul laughed before pausing in front of the door to the boy's dorm.  
"Uh, you're coming in?" he said as she swung the door open.

"Gotta drop something off, Stein'll be cool with it," she said as she unwrapped her scarf to hang loosely around her shoulders.

"See you next year then, I guess?" Soul teased as he followed her inside. "And thanks for helping me pick out a gift for Jackie."

Maka nodded.  
"No problem, see you in 2017," she said cheerfully before disappearing down the hallways, getting weird glances at most of the guys who were passing by. One whistled at her.

"Maybe he already left for break…" Maka thought to herself as she neared the end of the top floor hallway where a man with shaggy red hair stood with his back turned away from her, polishing one of the wall lights with a lemon-scented rag.  
She walked closer until she was only standing a few paces behind him before she very carefully crouched over to balance the card on top of a Lysol can of cleaner without a sound.  
Then, with a small smile, she backed away and walked off back to the girl's dorm, feeling quite convinced that she wasn't that much of a coward anymore.  
I mean, nothing could be worse than having to stand in an aisle of pornographic images and sculptures. Right?

"Hey," Maka said as she passed by Marie to catch her locking up her office with a key off the ring that she had stolen the month before.

"Oh, Maka," Marie said as she gave the key a final twist with a sound _***click!*.**_  
"Did you finish up that letter for me?"

Maka nodded.  
"Yeah," she began, "But you don't have to worry about giving it to my dad, I already took care of that."

"You mean you already gave it to him?" Marie beamed.

"Technically... yes," Maka shrugged.

"That's pretty brave of you, Maka," Marie nodded as Maka fought off the internal want to roll her eyes at how Marie often talked to the students as if they were first graders.  
"You sure have a lot of courage."

 _(Somewhere else that night, off campus…)_

He sat on the black plush chair near the window, resting his chin on his hand as he watched streaks of slush stream down the large glass panels.

"Kid..." the therapist hummed from another plush seat opposite to Kid's, his voice filling the large family room inside Headmaster Death's mansion. "Did you not hear my question? Would you like me to repeat myself?"

Kid squeezed his eyes shut.  
"No," he murmured, not bothering to look his therapist in the eye or cooperate at all, for that matter.  
He didn't want to sit here in his 'family' room with a shrink as he waited until late to sneak out and meet up with Liz at a place he'd probably get so drunk and wasted that he wouldn't be able to remember his own address.

"You're upset, I can see that…" the therapist said as he scribbled something down on a notepad. "Would you like to tell me why?"

Kid scoffed and shook his head.  
He wanted his therapist to go away.  
He wanted his family room to be a real family room again, where he and his brother would play Battleships and video games (that his older brother may or may not let him win at).  
He wanted his dad to come in and be the one to ask him how he's feeling or how his day went or why he was so upset. He wished his mom would come and kiss him on the forehead and take him out for ice cream like she used to when she knew he was having a hard day.

"Kid…?" the therapist said with a firmer tone as if he cared to know his feelings, even though Kid knew the therapist only came here to make a pretty penny from his dad.

"Life is shit," Kid said suddenly as he squeezed his eyes shut, the words creating a sour taste in his mouth.

The therapist turned to a blank page in his notepad.  
"Why don't we move onto a new topic, hm? Something a bit more interesting to you," he said, "Tell me about your old friend, Maka, the girl who transferred over this year to your father's school?"

"She isn't my friend," Kid said with a bite.

"I see…Why would that be?" the therapist said, nodding slowly and once again scribbling away in his notebook.

Kid shrugged and looked over to the therapist who stared back at him with unwavering, cold gray eyes.  
"People don't like to be friends with monsters."

 _ ***knock!* *knock!***_

Kid glanced over to see his father peer into the door.  
"Kid, I've got a little something for you. Is it alright if I interrupt?"

"Of course!" the therapist said in a fake chippery, involved mood to prove to Death that he really cared about being here.

"Looks like someone left you a little Christmas gift outside are front door, Kiddo..." Death said as he handed Kid a small cardboard box.

Kid furrowed his brows as he looked at the small tag that was taped onto the front with only his name messily written on it.

"Go ahead, open it.." Death said with a weird undertone to his words that Kid passed off as suspicion that there may be something a bit 'against the rules' inside.

"Well, what is it?" the therapist said as Kid held a small ceramic sculpture of a very mature dressed Ms. Clause in his hands that held a small sign which read, ' _Merry Christmas, now fuck me,'_ in Spanish.

Kid scoffed with an unamused expression plastered onto his face.  
" _Assholes."_

 _To be continued…_

A/N: Woooo! School is finally out, bless...today was such a crazy day for me, argh, I just want to scream into my pillow and hide in a whole for eternity... (Well, maybe at least until I get hungry which won't be very long).  
Don't know if I'll be posting anything before Christmas, so happy holidays...hope everyone has a great rest of December and a safe New Year's...see you guys next time :)


	12. Chapter 12: Five Months Ago

A/N: Hey guys...someone suggested I just put Soul's backstory in the main story since it's from the same alternate universe...  
so...this is a small piece of why Soul was forced to go to Shibusen in the first place, and I feel like you might get lost in the next few chapters if you haven't read it...but anyways, enjoy c;

 **(Soul, Five Months Prior, the summer before Sophomore Year)**

Cracks of bright, summer sun spilled through the abundant green leaves of the tall birch trees bordering a murky river, leaving patches of light gleaming on the water's surface.  
The sounds of birds and rushing water sounded loudly as the heavy scent of damp earth and weed wafted through the greenery.

"That's such a shit idea, Harvar" Soul laughed as he leaned against the railing, staring at the faded rainbow boards of the bridge that were painted long ago in the 70's.

The other boy, Harvar, stood opposite of him wearing black, knock-off Ray Ban sunglasses and a faded leather jacket as he laughed away.  
"C'mon, you act like you've never done this before," Harvar said as sunlight bounced off the lenses of his glasses, "Besides, you're grandparents won't even be home."

Soul smirked and shook his head.  
"True, but Wes is visiting," he began, "you know how over-protective he is."

"Aw," Harvar teased in a baby voice, "is Soul afraid to get busted by his big, bad brother?"

Soul laughed.  
"Yeah, he might slam me over the head with his violin or his ego," he joked "I don't know which one would hurt more."

Harvar pulled a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket.  
"So," he began, "I'll meet you at your corner around nine tonight?" he asked, offering a lit cigarette to Soul.

Soul watched the cigarette tentatively as he took it in his hand being as he never smoked one in the past in fear of his family smelling the scent of smoke on him.  
"Yeah, I'll be there," he said, taking a puff and failing to hold in a few coughs.

Harvar chuckled, and smacked Soul on the back a few times.  
"Then it's settled," he said, "Soul's ready to put on his big boy pants."

0000000000

 _He was a big boy, at least that's what he wanted to believe, wishing he didn't have to handle the weight of his family's reputation on his shoulders._

" _Soul, that's absolutely disgusting,_ " Wes called out, peering over the newspaper he held in his hand.  
A sleek, black violin case rested on the barstool next to him, leaning gingerly against the kitchen island.

Soul, milk carton in hand, took a large chug with an uncaring gaze.

"What's it to you?" he asked before wiping his mouth with his sweater sleeve, "You're lactose intolerant, anyway."

"That's not the point," Wes said, waving a finger, "You can't just continue on being such a slob, have some care."

Soul scoffed, peering into the refrigerator and enjoying the chilly air it emitted.

"Do you even listen to the things I tell you?" Wes said, " _Oh wait, you don't care._ "

Soul slammed the door shut and groaned.  
"I don't need a whole lecture on how to drink my fluids by my older brother," he said annoyed, "Quit trying to be my parent."

"You're in real need of one since Mom died," Wes said before noticing the way Soul flinched at the word 'mom'.

"Soul," he began, "I didn't mean to bring that up-"

Soul stormed out of the kitchen as the screech of Wes's chair sliding against the marble tile sounded, followed by the taps of Wes's expensive shoes against the varnished, hardwood floor.

"You know, you're a real prick Wes!" Soul said, standing outside his bedroom door, "You think you know everything about everything because you're so rich and shit, but you really don't!"

"I'm just trying to help, Soul!" Wes shouted back.  
"I care about you," he said, "And don't act like I'm some idiot who doesn't realize all the sneaking out and the scent of liquor, I know what you're doing Soul!"

"You don't know anything!" Soul yelled, shocked at how observant his brother was when he visited.

"Yes, I do!" Wes shouted.  
"And it's all my fault, after mom died, I shouldn't have moved away," he began, "I should have stayed with you, made sure you wouldn't start acting out…"

"This is not about mom," Soul said fiercely, gripping the doorknob of his room.  
"It's about you, always thinking you're bigger than what you are, that you're just a gift to us all!"

"Soul, I want you to let me help you, please, I was a teenager once too, you know," Wes said with a sorry look on his face, "Let's just forget about the milk carton and all this shit and talk, okay?"

Soul shot him a cold stare before opening his room door and then locking himself inside, praying his brother wouldn't start pounding on the door.

He didn't.

Soul laid out on his unmade bed, hands under his head as music began to flow from a large, expensive stereo that sat against his black-painted walls.

" _...Well, I had a million dollars but I, I'd spend it all._

 _If I could find that Heina, and that Sancho that she's found._

 _Well, I'd pop a cap in Sancho and I'd slap her down…."_

The gentle sound of a violin began to play from nearby, causing Soul to crinkle his nose in annoyance.

 _He was cautious, at first, with the whole sneaking out and being cool kind of thing. However, he soon learned a few blocks down his street and into the city proved he could easily blend in with the urban kids, easily hiding the fact he was just a rich snob from a highly-esteemed family._

Soul stood up abruptly and walked over to his stereo, cranking up the music to max, nearly making the walls shake and almost completely drowning out the sound of his older brother's annoyance.

" _My soul will have to wait till I get back, to find a Heina of my own._

 _Daddy's gonna love one and all…"_

" _Soul!"_ Wes called out from the top of his lungs from down the hall, " _Quit playing your music at such an unreasonable level!"_

" _Unreasonable,"_ Soul thought, plopping back down on his bed, not bothering to lower the music at his brother's request.

" _...I feel the break, feel the break, feel the break and I gotta live it up._

 _Oh, yeah, uh huh._

 _Well, I swear that I…"_

 _That's what his whole idea of worrying about getting caught was.  
Unreasonable.  
Whether or not he snuck out all night and came home with such a dreadful hangover was unnoticed by his grandparents as they always were busying themselves with social events and such._

 _But Wes, Wes couldn't get his head out of Soul's ass.  
He was way too concerned about the future and thought Soul should be too; you know, so Soul could plan for a successful future.  
However, if that meant your future would turn into nothing but drab crowds and uncomfortable suits, then he can pass.  
Soul just wanted to blend in with the crowd, fit in, be cool.  
Live a little._

00000000

Soul's phone buzzed in his pocket as he sat in the passenger seat of Harvar's dented-up car, watching the city lights blur into blobs of neon green and violet against the dark of night.  
A swirl of anxiety that he couldn't push down swelled inside him with each minute adding a new worry to his list of ways in which he was going to get embarrassed by Wes (or found out as a overprivileged boy playing lower-class punk rebel).

"That's Ren?" Harvar called out over the rushing wind billowing in from the open windows, one hand on the wheel and a cigarette stuck between his lips.

Soul nodded with a smirk, tapping at his phone screen, hoping Harvar, the only person who knew Soul was loaded with cash, wouldn't make any jokes about the amount of money Soul's phone may cost or the worth of the expensive cologne he dabbed on before leaving.

"Looks like someone's getting laid," Harvar teased, flicking the cigarette out of the window and turning the car into a less populated area of the city where tall, skinny homes lined the narrow streets.

Soul chuckled and glanced over at Harvar, who was focused on not crashing into the cars that lined the already narrow street, once again wearing his hard-earned leather jacket that he seemingly never took off.

Soul really didn't understand something.  
Here was Harvar, a high school junior who certainly wasn't half-bad looking and had the world's grandest charismatic charm, a car, and one hell of a smile, but was never seen once with a girl, or even showing any need for one.

Soul shrugged this off as the bright shade of violet lights being emitted from a nearby building came into view along with the sounds of loud music and cheering.

"Here's the place," Harvar said, squeezing the car into a near-impossible spot.  
Harvar reached behind him and pulled his guitar case from the back seat after pulling the key out of the emission and plopping him into his pocket.  
"I wish you'd bring your guitar," Harvar murmured, "We could've played like in the old days, when your brother came to my middle school to teach music for charity."

"Maybe next time," Soul said, tapping his fingers against the dashboard as he waited impatiently for Harvar to strap on the guitar case.

"All right," Harvar said finally, "Let's rumble."

00000000

" _...So if you're lonely_

 _You know I'm here waiting for you…"_

Harvar sat on a dingy, faded red sofa as he strummed away on his guitar as people preoccupied themselves with booze and neck-sucking.

"He's really good, isn't he?" a voice asked, appearing from the nearby doorway.

"Oh, hey Ren," Soul murmured, mesmerized by the way Harvar played effortlessly, letting the music blend and flow through the environment.

Ren giggled, running her fingers through her short, deep-purple hair.  
"You know, it would be nice if you played for once…"

" _...And if you leave here_

 _You leave me broken, shattered, I lie…"_

Soul chuckled and tore his gaze from Harvard, locking eyes with Ren's impossibly light brown pupils. "How's your sister?" he asked, wanting to switch from the subject of him and his music.

"Probably at work if she woke up without too bad of a hangover," Ren said, as Soul imagined the sight of her Ren's older sister skipping around some bar in a too-tight swimsuit top and cat ears.

Ren elbowed him in the shoulders. "I know what you're thinking about, perv!" she teased, causing Soul to splash some of his drink as he chuckled.

"All men just want to fuck her and she lets them. She has no self-control."

"Ah," Soul began, massaging the part of his chest that met Ren's boney elbow, "At least your siblings aren't overcontrolling freaks."

" _...I say don't you know  
You say you don't know  
I say... take me out…!"_

Ren laughed. "I didn't know you had siblings," she said. "I don't really know anything about you as it is…"

"Maybe I like keeping people guessing," Soul joked with a massive smirk.

"How mysterious," Ren teased as a large group of teenage boys hurled into the living room, carrying paper bags of alcohol and bringing in the scent of sweat and smoke.

"There's your military saint," Soul teased, motioning towards the muscular High School senior with short blonde hair, donning a fake gold cross against his grease-stained white tank top.

"That's my man, Justin!" Harvar out called out as Justin held up grocery bags of booze.  
It surprised Soul how Harvar literally got along with everyone, even though Soul knew he secretly talked a lot of crap about people behind their backs. Soul wondered if he talked crap behind his own back.

Soul shook his head as Ren tugged on his sleeve.  
"Let's get away for a little bit," she said, "I'm not in the mood to deal with his drunk-ass."

000000

Soul sat perched on a chipped, painted dresser in a bedroom as Ren sat on the bed which was bare except a threadbare blanket with a suspicious smell that sat crumpled near the baseboard.

"Your boyfriend will kill me if he finds me in here with you," Soul said, counting the number of water stains on the room's ceiling, "especially if he's hammered."

"I can't stand him sometimes, you know," Ren said suddenly, picking at her septum piercing as she eyed Soul carefully.

Soul laughed. "I'm actually really glad you said that," he said, "Because I'm sure we all think that."

Ren shook her head, ceasing to pick at her piercing and instead crossing her arms and shivering as if it were cold, even though it was still a solid eighty degrees outside.  
"I know you all think he's a douche and shit, but there's a real person behind that," she began,  
"People can be twisted and mean, but I'm pretty sure we're all hurting on the inside. We're just doing whatever we can to stop ourselves from falling apart, even if that means harming other people."

"That's deep," Soul said, staring intensely into her eyes, "What's this all about?"

Ren leaned back on her arms and took a deep breath, causing her nose to crinkle in a way in which a small smile escaped onto Soul's face despite the serious act she was putting on.

"You can't tell anyone," she said, staring up at the ceiling, "because it's not too big of a deal, I mean, it's not anything I can't handle."

Soul raised an eyebrow. "I'm a cool guy, I don't spread gossip or shit."

Ren nodded.  
"He beat me the other day, really bad because he wanted me to sleep with him even though he couldn't afford to go out and buy a pack of condoms because he wasted the last of his money on booze."

Soul's eyes lit up. "Ren, are you seriou? I thought this guy was a douche, but he's a fucking animal!"

"Soul," she shouted, standing up, "It was a one time thing, okay? It's my fault, I shouldn't have pushed him off the edge like that."  
"You can't say anything, or his dad will beat the crap out of him or throw him out on the streets!"

"Maybe that's what he deserves!" Soul said fiercely, looking carefully at Ren's face but seeing no traces of any bruising or cuts.

"Please, Soul," she said softly, squeezing his arm,  
"You're so young," she said, despite the age difference being of only two years, "I wanted to tell you because you're, distant…"

"Distant?" Soul chuckled even though his lips were still frowning from this whole situation.

"No, it's more like, you're yourself even though no one knows what 'yourself' really is because you don't pride around what you have like everyone else," Ren said, "You just seem like a really chill guy, and besides Harvar, I think you're someone I really trust."

"Just because of how I act?" Soul questioned.

"Mhm, and it's not like I just met you yesterday," she said, causing Soul to grin a bit wider in memories of junior high days where they would sip slushies under the bleachers of the football, playing truth-or-dare and desperately wishing he would be dared to kiss her, leaving their lips purple as he always chose red slushes and she chose blue.

"Alright," Soul said with a frown, trying to think about what Harvard would do in this situation which would probably be cursing about it for a few moments and then following up with a cigarette.  
"But if this get's any worse, or if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here."

Ren nodded, causing a strand of hair to come untucked from behind her ears, falling onto her nose that was crinkled into a smile. "Thanks, Soul."

Soul pushed the strand back behind her ear. "What can I say," he chuckled, "I'm a cool guy."

"Guys! There's a bit of an issue!" Harvar said, bursting into the room with as the sound of blaring sirens rattled the building, leaving the colors of red and blue gleaming from the bedroom window.

"Shit, what's going on?"

Harvar through his faded leather jacket over Soul's shoulders and shoved the guitar case in his hands.  
"Don't worry, we hid all the booze, it's just a cop and his buddy," Harvar said quickly, "I just need you to make sure this stuff stays safe just in case."

Harvar motioned for them to follow, which they did, leading them to a backdoor that lead into the narrow, garbage filled alleyway.

"Take a walk," Harvar said as Soul and Ren stepped out, "If the cops are still here when you're back, keep on going and don't come back," he said.  
"Don't want anything happening to my freshie and Justin's girl," he laughed, playfully punching Soul in the shoulder before closing the screen door and disappearing inside the building.

Soul and Ren stepped onto the cracked, oil-stained cement of the alleyway and breathed in the scent of trash, causing Ren's nose to crinkle up all over again.

"Well," she began, "guess it's just me, you, and the racoons."

000000

The deserted, run-down park smelled heavily of damp mulch and metal.  
A single streetlight mounted nearby the paint-chipped jungle gym gave the area a faint, orange glow, illuminating the skinny trees that served as the park's border.

Ren sat on a rusted chain swing, not daring to swing to high because the thing honestly looked like it was ready to collapse, and emitted a sharp squeak with every move she made.

"Nice night out," Soul said, donning Havar's faded leather jacket and guitar case.

"Would be better if we could see the stars," Ren murmured, focusing on the moon as it hovered above them.

"Not out here with all the city lights blocking them out," Soul remarked, leaning against the swing-set pole.  
"Maybe somewhere like Michigan," he said, "Way north by the lakes, thousands of them just sparkling by the water."

Ren nodded. "That sounds like a dream, to get out of this city…"

Soul raised a brow.  
"I thought you loved the city?" he asked.

"I do," she said, "Because, you know, it's home, but it'd be nice to have a fresh start somewhere, be able to just... ah, I can't explain."

"No, I understand," Soul said sincerely, "Maybe one day we can ride up there to Michigan together, just to see how it is…"

Ren laughed, causing the swing set to shake and let out a sharp squeak.  
"You don't even have your license yet," she said, "You gonna take me on your bicycle?"

Soul chuckled.

"On a motorcycle," he said, "wouldn't that be cool?"

"Where are you gonna find the money for a motorcycle?" Ren teased, "I can call up Blair to see if their hiring at the bar?"

Soul laughed and shook his head, gazing up at the sky once more, focusing on the flashing lights of an airplane making it's way across the dark sky.

"There's your star," Soul said, motioning towards the plane.  
"Make a wish."

Ren giggled and closed her eyes, concentrating so hard her nose crinkled once again.

Her eyes snapped open, so light and catlike they could have been glowing.

"Well?" she said, eyeing Soul.

"Well what?" he scoffed with a side smirk.

"Are you gonna make my wish come true?" she asked, now wearing a smirk of her own.

"Huh?" Soul asked, furrowing his brows.

Ren laughed.  
"The guitar," she began, "I wish you'd play me a song."

"Really?" Soul said, shaking his head with a smile.

"C'mon, Harvar says you're really good," she pleaded, standing abruptly with a laugh, "Something simple; I just want to hear you play tonight."

"Fine," Soul said, finally giving in and taking a seat in the nearby metal bench that sat under the light.

"Something simple," he murmured, pulling Harvar's guitar out of the case as Ren took a seat next to him.

"Alright, this your free ticket," Soul said, holding the guitar, "To make you feel better, but just this once."

"Well, I guess I'll make it a moment I'll never forget," she giggled.

Soul smirked, and held the guitar steady in his hands as the sound of airplane dissipated, probably flying off to Michigan, Nevada, Italy, or who-knows-where, but hopefully to somewhere where the people inside want to be, to a place where the stars shine bright and everything isn't too bittersweet.

" _...Today is gonna be the day_

 _That they're gonna throw it back to you_

 _By now you should've somehow_

 _Realized what you gotta do_

 _I don't believe that anybody_

 _Feels the way I do, about you now…"_

000000

"Where the fuck have you two been?" a voice shouted, mixing in with the sound of a car engine as Soul and Ren were making their way back to the apartment.

Soul's head whipped around to see a very pissed off Justin speeding down the street before abruptly stopping his car and charging out towards Soul as a load of intoxicated teenage guys sat cramped inside, cheering him on and holding in vomit from taking too many shots.

*BAM!*

Soul fell backwards onto the sidewalk, having his fall being caught by the guitar case on his back.  
He held a hand up to his gushing nose as a thin stream of blood began to trickle out.

"What the hell was that for?" Soul asked, stirring up all the confidence he could muster despite the fact his guy was two times his size and the girl of his dreams was standing right next to him.

Justin wandered over to Ren with a sly smile, ignoring Soul completely.  
"Babe, he said sweetly, staring at her intently with his eyes that have reddened from all the drinking, "What were you doing hanging out with this little punk freshman?"

"Just hanging out at the park," Ren answered, "we were just waiting for the cops to leave so we could come back, and I-"

"LIAR!" he shouted, raising a hand to slap her but curling it into a fist that he shoved into his pocket.  
"Babe," he began with a smile, "Get in the car."

Ren stood hesitantly for a moment, her facial features unseen by Soul as he sat on the ground behind her, wishing he beefed up a bit more so he could beat the shit out Justin.

"Alright," she finally said before walking into the car with Justin, not turning around to help Soul up or even say goodbye.

"By the way," Justin said as he slipped into the driver's seat, "Tell your friend Harvar we say thank you for him taking the fall with the whole alcohol and police think, he's a true bro. Hope they don't lock him up for to long," he laughed before hitting the gas and speeding into the starless night, taking Ren away and leaving him alone on the sidewalk.

Soul stood up slowly, feeling defeated as his bloody nose finally ceased.  
He felt in the pockets of Harvar's leather jacket for his phone, but accidently pulled out a pack of cigarettes instead.

So, there Soul was, wandering the streets of the city, smoking a cigarette in Harvar's leather jacket with a guitar case strapped around his shoulder; he wasn't sure if he needed to cry (even though cool guys didn't cry), scream, or potentially vomit, but at least he could enjoy some silence.  
Or so he thought.

Soul froze on the sidewalk, lit cigarette in hand, as a black Mercedes Benz pulled up next to him.

"Get the hell in," Wes said, sitting in the driver's seat in a pair of silk pajamas, "and hand me one of those cigarettes."

 _A few days later…._

Soul sat, hunched over the counter as he stared uninterested into a cup of black coffee.

"This is in now way a young man should act!" his grandmother yelled, slamming her palm down on the kitchen counter.

"Your grandmother is right, Soul," his grandfather said, standing behind his grandma, "If you were living with my father, you would've gotten the belt."

"I get, I get!" Soul said, throwing his hands up in frustration.  
"I fucked up, okay? No one really knows I was there, no one knew who I really was!" he said fiercely, "I'm a teenager, we do dumb stuff and have messy rooms and drink straight from the carton!"

Wes scoffed and shook his head before taking a sip of his own cup of coffee, focusing on Soul with his red eyes.

"I understand we make mistakes, but those mistakes need to be corrected," his grandmother said.

"Alright, so you're gonna take away my radio? My motorcycle? Go ahead!" Soul shouted, crossing his arms.

"Oh, If you're mother could see you know," his grandfather said coldly, causing Soul's angry demeanor to shrivel up.  
"You are acting like such a spoiled brat. Grow up. Be a man," his grandfather said.

"I'm sorry," Soul said dejected, staring at his feet, "I promise it won't happen again, I swear I'll, I'll be better. I can prove it to you guys."

His grandmother let out a deep sigh.

"You're not staying with us anymore Soul," his grandmother said finally, pursuing her rouge stained lips.

"What?" Soul said shocked, looking into Wes's eyes, hoping for some kind of explanation.

"It's best for you," his grandfather said, "We have so much going on, it's obvious we just can't keep up with this new behavior of yours. It's best we send you elsewhere."

"You can't just kick me out!" Soul said loudly, thinking about leaving behind his nights of hanging out with Harvar in the woods, laughing away with Ren who worked part-time at Seven-Eleven, letting Soul get slushies for half-off, playing pranks on the stuck-up brats that attended his school.

"You'll be leaving for Death City in a week," she said, pulling out a ticket from her cardigan pocket and resting it on the counter.  
Shibusen," she began, "Is one of the most elite and expensive boarding schools in the country. Maybe they'll discipline you a bit better there."

Soul crinkled his nose in anger, staring at Wes and hoping he'd butt in and say something in objection to his grandparents.  
But of course Wes wouldn't, he would never go against the order of the grandparents.

He was always on their side.

0000000

It had been two days when a small, yellowed envelope with the name "Soul" scrawled on the front appeared in the mailbox.

He sat in his room, envelope in hand, grateful his grandparents hadn't already pried it open and gone through his personal business.

In the past five days, nothing has happened that linked Soul to the whole party situation, and since Soul's grandparents put him on house arrest, he couldn't exactly go meet up with his other friends to find out the whole story.  
Even Wes decided to stay an extra few days before flying home to make sure Soul wouldn't attempt to run-away or something.

He split the envelope open and pulled out a fresh piece of loose-leaf paper, it read:

 _Dear Soul,_

 _Hey, what's up? I stopped by yesterday morning, I had to literally pry your address out of Harvar to find you; I guess you were asleep, I think it was your dad who answered the door, you both look really alike._

 _He told me you were leaving, that sucks, he wouldn't tell me where you were going, though. I hope it's Michigan, but then again, you wouldn't leave without me, would you?  
Anyway, if it is Michigan, make a few wishes for me on the stars by the lake, alright? I'm kind of leaving myself, unfortunately not to Michigan.  
You can keep another secret of mine, can you? I like that you can. Truth is, I'm pregnant, and I can't let Justin know about it, so my sister and I are packing up, just going to drive until we find a new bar where she can work, far enough from Justin that I can be safe.  
You were right, he's a douche._

 _Your friend,_

 _Brenda (AKA Ren)_

 _P.S. Harvar said you can keep the jacket and guitar, he said it'd be no use to him since they can't bring those things into jail cells._

Soul dropped the letter on his desk and ruffled his hands through his hair, upset he'd probably never see her again, but relieved she was getting away from that scumbag.

He walked over and threw up a few dirty clothes that were resting on off Harvar's guitar case, prying it open and grabbing the guitar before plopping on to his bed.

He gritted his teeth and strummed away as the sun set outside, marking the end off his last full day here as the sunset left an orange wash over his room through the open curtains.

Somewhere outside, the sound of planes overhead made Soul strum harder, fighting to be louder.

" _...Another turning point  
A fork stuck in the road  
Time grabs you by the wrist  
Directs you where to go_

 _So make the best of this test  
And don't ask why  
It's not a question,  
But a lesson learned in time_

 _It's something unpredictable,  
But in the end it's right  
I hope you had the time of your life…"_

000000

A/N: Do you guys think I should just keep this here since it's already from the same alternate universe and delete the independent one? I think in the future I'll move it to go before chapter one, but for now I don't really know... anyways, thanks so much for reading (and sorry if you've already read this ;p)

See you for chapter 12!


	13. Chapter 13: Lies and Old Friends

A/N: Yo, I was planning to save this chapter for next week, but I'll just post it a lil early... so let's just pretend it's next week ;)  
¡Happy *almost* New Year! Here's to 2017...

Chapter 12:

(Soul)

"Yeah, growing up with Sid as my foster dad was pretty cool, I guess," Black-Star murmured as he bounced a small, red rubber ball against the peeling wallpaper of the boy's dorm hallway. "He's the reason I got into such an expensive school in the first place…"

Soul nodded, watching a group of guys greet each other at the other end of the wall with rolling suitcases as everyone was still flying back into Death City from winter break.  
"You two seem real close...Is that why he's not afraid to be so hard on you during gym class?" he asked.

"Yeah," Black-Star said. "I used to get bullied a lot growing up because I liked playing dress-up or dolls with the girls. I was never into sports or anything 'manly' like that… Sid's always pushed me to do weight-lifting 'n stuff, you know, to be able to defend myself physically."

"Dude, I'm sorry," Soul said, looking over to Black-Star with a sympathetic expression.

"Nah, don't get all worked up over it," Black-Star said.  
"I remember the day I punched you in the cafeteria," he laughed, shaking his head, "It was the first time I actually stood up for something… I mean, it was shitty to punch you, and I still feel bad about it, but I really felt proud. Is that fucked up?"

"No, it's not," Soul said.  
"What's fucked up is that kids picked on you for dumb shit like that. I mean, don't people teach their kids to not be assholes? There's enough of that asshole crap when you're older…"

Black-Star shrugged.  
"What about you?" he asked, holding the rubber ball and examing it with an uninterested stare, "What was your childhood like?"

Soul bit his lip and looked away with a shrug.  
"Average, I guess," he muttered, "I know what it's like to grow up without any parents."

Black-Star slowly nodded. "Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah…" Soul murmured, hoping that Black-Star would change the subject so he didn't have to talk about growing up extremely privileged and living under his older brother's shadow.

"I don't really know anything about you before you came to be Shibusen, now that I think about it..." Black-Star said as he furrowed his eyebrows. "You're really quiet about that stuff."

Soul shrugged as he picked at a loose string hanging from the edge of his sleeve.  
"Not that much to know about me…"

"Well, look here…" a voice said nearby as Soul and Black-Star peered up.  
"Enjoying yourself here, Soul Evans? Such a shock to see you attending such a prodigious school."

Soul scoffed as Black-Star looked over to Soul with a confused look on his face.  
"What the hell are you doing here, Ox? I thought you said this place was beneath you?" Soul said as he shot him an icy stare.

Ox laughed obnoxiously and adjusted the collar of his silk dress-shirt.  
"I guess Shibusen will have to do for now; the other two academies I previously attended turned out to be quite crummy."

Black-Star chuckled.  
"Crummy," he whispered to himself.

Ox rolled his eyes.  
"I overheard a slight amount of the conversation going on between you two…" he said.

"Get fucking lost, Ox," Soul said tiredly.

"I go and remain where I please, Soul, thank you," Ox said, crossing his arms.  
He turned to Black-Star.  
"It's a true falsehood that Soul's life before Shibusen would be considered uneventful," he began, "Because I find it quite interesting."

(Maka)

"Please," he said suddenly, completely disturbing her quiet reading session by bursting into the library and slamming his palms against her usual table that she was seated at.  
"I know you hate me, and I know you think I'm literal garbage, and I know you just wish I would disappear into thin air, but please…" he begged amidst a sob.  
"I miss you."

Maka gently sat down her book and chewed her lip as she processed exactly what to say to him.  
"He's going to backstab you. He's going to play you. He's going to mess with you. He's going to hurt you. Maka. Don't. I swear- Maka, do not say it. Leave. Kid. Alone."  
"I miss you too," she whispered, staring down at his reflection in the polished wood of the table.

"You do?" Kid choked out, looking up at her with bloodshot eyes.

She sighed and shrugged.  
"I miss the way we used to be friends..." she said, refusing to meet his eyes, "but, you-"

"No, no," he said, sliding into the chair opposite of hers with a smile.  
"I know I hurt you, and I'm so sorry," he said, "I can change, I promise, I just need your help. I swear, I'm getting better."

Maka finally looked up.  
If anything, he seemed a lot worse: dark rings under his eyes, scars from constant scratching healing at the edge of his hairline, and his nails completely bitten down to stubs.  
"I don't understand…" she said, "I don't know how you expect me to fix you."

Kid looked at her with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.  
"Let's just go back to the way things used to," he said as Maka's heart skipped a beat. "I'll try if you try…"

"What about Liz?" she murmured.

He shook his head.  
"Don't worry about her," he chuckled slightly, "She's just a friend, I swear she won't bother you anymore."

Maka slowly nodded even though she could still see the faint bruise present on the side of his neck.  
"You promise?" she whispered.

He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his black blazer and smiled slightly.  
"I promise."

(Soul)

"Soul, buddy, how are you doing this fine afternoon?" Ox asked as he suavely leaned against the locker next to Soul's a few moments after the final bell of the day rung.

"Trying to get back to the dorm's before I run into any more psychos," Soul scoffed before flinging a book into his locker. "Looks like faith wasn't in my favor today."

"Aren't you going to ask how my first day of classes here went?" Ox asked.

Soul laughed and shook his head.  
"Ox, I honestly don't give a shit about you," he said as he slammed his locker shut. "So if you're pretending to be 'buds' with me sp you can use me as an advantage, then you can go suck it."

Ox chuckled loudly as Soul turned and began making his way down the hall.  
"You know," Ox called out, "Another old 'bud' of yours from back in Boston really wishes he could catch up with you, too."

Soul slowly turned around.  
"Who?"

"Ah," Ox said with a cold smile, "Not forgetting our old pal Justin, are we?"

Soul shook his head.  
"Don't threaten me like that," he whispered fiercely, marching back over to Ox.  
"You have nothing on me."

The grin plastered on Ox's face melted away into an expressionless stare.  
"Don't be so idiotic, I can bend and twist the truth anyway I chose," he said.  
"I mean, who would rather believe some delinquent over a genuine scholar like me?"

"What are you getting at, Oxford?" Soul threatened as he closed in on him.

"I came to this school for intellectual reasons, Soul," Ox said, retaining his blank expression.  
"Graduating valedictorian of this school shoots me in the path I quite well desire, and what I desire is exactly what I will achieve."

"Why are you telling me this?" Soul said, raising a brow.

"I've made a deal with a certain someone," Ox said, "And fulfilling my end of this 'deal' will no doubt secure me in graduating as valedictorian of this school; thus, I will be getting exactly as I desire."

"So how does that tie into you fucking with me?" Soul scoffed.

Ox's impassive expression cracked as he once again wore his overstretched, slightly creepy grin.  
"I said I had to fulfill my end of the deal, did I not?"

(Maka)

"Hey," Soul said to her as she left Stein's classroom from one her final tutoring sessions with a handful of yellowed paperback novels that she had checked out earlier that day.  
"Just wanted to say thanks again for helping me pick out Jackie's gift. She really loved the shirts."

"No problem," Maka said as they proceeded to walk down the hall together toward the main staircase, the sound of their shoe heels clicking against the tile floor echoing in the empty halls.  
"What are you still doing around here, by the way? School ended, like, two hours ago."

Soul shrugged.  
"Something was getting on my nerves so I hung out in the music room for a bit."

"You play to calm yourself?" Maka giggled.

"No, I don't really play, forget I said anything," Soul said, shaking his head.  
"Forgot to ask, how'd you liked the album I gave you?"

"Oh, it was great!" Maka said, shifting the books in her arms.  
"I can run it over to you tonight if you want, I left it in my luggage."

"Nah, you keep it," Soul said with a small smile.  
"I'm glad you liked it…"

Maka nodded.  
"Yeah, I really liked the one where the main guy was-"

"What are you two still doing here?" a voice said suddenly, causing Maka and Soul to quickly turn around.

"Oh, hey Kid," Maka said as she clutched her books, watching Kid who stood in a nearby doorway with his sleeves rolled up and school blazer missing.  
"Just got out of tutoring with Stein…"

"And you, Mr. Evans?" Kid said with a certain bite to it.  
"Not causing any more trouble, hm?"

"Mr. Evans?" Soul sneered, shaking his head.  
"You really love pushing your sorry lucky, don't you?"

"Was that a threat?" Kid asked, narrowing his eyes.  
"You should remember who my father is, Mr. Evans. It seems your the one pushing your luck.

"What the hell has gotten into you? God…" Soul said with a half-laugh.  
"We're just walking down the hallway, okay? No need to get your daddy's boy panties in a twist."

"Soul," Maka sighed.  
"Drop it."

"Drop it?" Soul scoffed.  
"Doesn't it piss you off how he thinks he has the right to be a nosy little fucker because he's the principal's son? And then he has the balls to pick at me as if I broke his precious rules!"

"Leave him alone, Soul!" Maka said angrily.  
"You said you wouldn't act like such a goddamn asshole! You promised you'd try to be better."

"Yeah, well, he's an asshole to me, and I'm not gonna sit here and take it," Soul said.

"That doesn't mean you should fight back! Have you not learned anything?" Maka said, half-shouting. "You're such a moron!"

Soul waved her off.  
"Whatever, Maka, glad you liked the music," he said as he walked away down the hallway before letting the glass stairwell door slam shut behind him.

"Thanks for defending me…" Kid whispered as Maka stared unhappily at the stairwell door.

"You're welcome, I guess," she shrugged as she turned back to face him.  
"What are you still doing here?"

"Cleaning some things up," he said bluntly before cocking his head to the side.  
"You look upset, why?"

"Oh," she said, "I think I was a little too hard on, Soul, you know?"

Kid shook his head.  
"Someone needs to put him in his place; I'm glad you did so…" he said.  
"I didn't know you two became close."

"We're just friends," Maka said as she crossed her arms across her chest.  
"Does that bother you…?"

"It makes me worry for you, I'm not sure being close friends with someone like him is such a good idea, but it's your choice, Maka," Kid said plainly.

"I mean, we're not that close," Maka shrugged with a forced smile.  
"Just don't let it bother you, alright?"

Kid nodded slowly.  
"I won't."

(Soul)

"Why are you so tense?" Jackie asked as she browsed through the many CD cases stacked on top of Black-Star's stereo, often making a face to show her dislike or fondness of the music album.

"What makes you think I'm tense?" Soul asked frankly as he leaned against his bedframe, idly staring off into space.

"Well for starters, you told me you were 'fucking pissed off' when I asked how your day went," she said, raising a brow.

"Yeah, I said I was pissed, not tense," Soul said as he folded his arms behind his head and tilted his head up to stare at the tiled ceiling.

"Whatever, Soul," Jackie giggled as she popped a CD into the stereo before plopping down onto his bed.

"...I wrote her off for the tenth time today  
And practiced all the things I would say…"

*knock!* *knock!*

"Get off your ass and answer the door," Jackie mumbled as she pulled out her cellphone and began flipping her social media feed.

"Psh, fine," Soul muttered as he stood up to crack his back before walking over and swinging open the door.

"...Now I know I'm being used  
That's okay because I like the abuse…"

"Definitely not in the fucking mood," Soul said bitterly before attempting to slam the door shut.

"Not so fast…" Ox said with a smile as he stuck out his foot into the door crack to prevent it from shutting all the way.

"Look, I don't care what the hell you have to say to me," Soul began angrily, "But I'd rather beat your face in and have who-knows-who come after me then spending the rest of the year dealing with your sorry ass."

Ox laughed.  
"Ah, but I think there's a small deal I can make with you that might settle out our problems…"

"Eh?" Soul said, ceasing to try and force the door shut.

"Come in the hall, talk to me for the moment," Ox said before Soul reluctantly did so.

"Who's there, Soul?" Jackie called from the inside of the room.

"Just a minute," Soul sighed as he closed the door behind him.  
He crossed his arms.  
"Okay, talk Oxford."

"Excellent," Ox said with a crooked grin.  
"So, you're quite aware of my will to fulfill my ambitions, right?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Soul said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, there's something more pressing I desire right now," Ox said.  
"No doubt I will graduate valedictorian as it already is considering my vast extent of knowledge, so risking a little bit of outside help is far less important to me than some help I need from you."

"You need my help?" Soul laughed.  
"I don't think so. One hundred percent no."

"Not so fast," Ox said, stepping over to block the door from Soul.  
"This will benefit you. Help me out, and I won't make the rest of your time here a living hell because trust me, Soul, I so easily can."

"So, I either help you out or you ruin the next two and half years for me?" Soul asked with a bored face.

"Correct!" Ox said.

"Yeah, I really don't care, Ox," Soul shrugged.  
"This school is already shitty enough. Hey, maybe you'll ruin my reputation so badly that my parents will pull me out."

"Hm…" Ox hummed.  
"Well, maybe I have a way to help you out..."

Soul raised a brow.

"I know where that little girl of yours is…" Ox began.  
"She was actually in town not too long after I left for Death City, asking around for you, but your parents didn't want her to find you. You know, bad influences…"

"What girl?!" Soul shouted desperately before tightly gripping Ox's collar.

"Brenda, of course," Ox said slyly.  
"Justin's ex-girlfriend. Don't play stupid and pretend you don't know who I'm talking about."

Soul loosened his grip.  
"What do you need me to do?"

"Ah-ha! I knew you'd come around," Ox said cheerfully.  
"There's a girl that's acquaintances with you, I believe. Short with hot pink hair? Lovely green eyes…"

"You mean Kim?" Soul said.

"Yes, Kim," Ox said dreamily.  
"I need you to find a way to get us together."

"You want me to hook you up with Kim?" Soul questioned.

"Mhm...you know, maybe invite me to hang out with you guys or talk about that new extremely handsome guy that just transferred over…" Ox said, nudging Soul in the shoulder with his elbow.

"She's kind of a rough girl...but I'll do what I can, I guess," Soul shrugged.  
He squinted his eyes.  
"Do you really know where Ren is?"

Ox nodded as the dorm room door swung open.  
"Soul," Jackie asked, "What's going on out here? I thought I heard you yell…"

"Who's this?" Ox asked.

"His girlfriend," Jackie said distastefully before rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"I see…" Ox said absent-mindling before snapping back into reality.  
"I hope you'll give me a hand, Soul," he said before turning away and walking off down the hall.  
"Let me know."

"Who is that guy?" Jackie asked.

"Some dumb prick," Soul shrugged.  
"Just transferred over."

"He's new here?" Jackie asked.  
"Huh, he seemed really familiar…"

(Maka)

Maka sat clicking inattentively at her laptop, not used to being free of all her extra credit assignments as her tutoring sessions with Stein were finally over.

*knock!* *knock!*

"It's open," Maka called out before shutting her laptop and stretching back into her desk chair with a soft sigh.

"Hey," a voice murmured almost painfully as the door opened with a slight creak.

"Kid, how'd you get in the girl's dorm?" Maka said shocked as he plopped down on her carpet and buried his face in his hands.

He shrugged, ruffling his black hair with his hands.  
"Tsubaki's not here…?"

"No, she's out with Black-Star," Maka said as she slid off her desk chair and crouched down in front of him.  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, obviously confused.

Kid slightly laughed despite his sad expression.  
"Mind I hang out here for a bit?"

"Can I ask why…?" Maka giggled, raising a brow.

"I'm kind of hiding from my dad," Kid chuckled.  
He sighed suddenly and shook his head. "Honestly speaking, I'm hiding from my therapy sessions."

"What, why?" Maka asked.  
"I thought you wanted to be in therapy?"

"It's shit," Kid said.  
"My therapist charmed my dad into getting hired because he knew he'd pay well. The whole session itself just makes me feel even worse."

"Why don't you tell your dad that?" Maka shrugged.

Kid shook his head.  
"He's rarely free or with me as it is...I hate to bring it up when he actually has some time to relax."

"Kid, you know your dad cares about you," Maka murmured, "He'd no doubt want to help you out, even if he's got all his business stuff going on. He'd doing anything for you."

"I know..." Kid sighed.  
"But I hate how he's done so much for me, only for me to turn out so fucked up and stressful for him."

"Quit it," Maka said, "I hate when you talk about yourself like this!"

"Well, in all honestly, it's what I feel," Kid said back angrily.  
He gripped his arms as his annoyance melted.  
"Sorry…" he murmured.

"No, no," Maka sighed as she scooted next to him, leaning against Tsubaki's bed frame.  
"I shouldn't have shut you down, it's good for you to talk about how you feel. It just...upsets me that I don't have a sudden way to make you feel better..."

"Well, I certainly feel a lot better being here with you than having to sit with my poor excuse for a therapist for the next hour," Kid said with a subtle smile.

Maka nodded.  
"How often do you have therapy?" she asked.

"Usually twice a week...sometimes three…" he said, dusting a few dust particles off his slacks.  
"Why?"

"Well," Maka began, "If you'd rather come and talk to me for a bit instead of your therapist, I'll be here."

"Seriously?" Kid said stunned.

"Yeah, 'course," Maka said.  
"As long as you promise not to get caught roaming the girl's dormitory."

"You're not afraid of me or anything?" Kid half-laughed.

Maka wrapped her arm around him and squeezed.  
"Definitely not," she murmured. "Just promise me you'll try to talk it out with me when you get super angry."

Kid nodded.  
"Thank you…" he whispered.  
"And I'm still so sorry about everything. That argument we had in the library… I can't believe that was me, I can't believe I said those things. It was disgusting."

"It's okay," Maka said. "It happened, it's over. You're sorry, and I forgive you."

Kid smiled.  
"Thank you," he repeated, "Thank you so much, Maka."

She giggled.  
"Anytime."

 _To be continued…_

A/N: Ah, there it is, haha. Going to a New Year's eve party tomorrow so wish me luck being out.  
Anyways, thank you so much for reading...hope you enjoyed this chapter and please R&R :)  
P.S. ~ I do plan on writing Maka's 'backstory' soon... cx


	14. Chapter 14: Totoro and The January Blues

Important A/N: Hey guyss...just wanted to let you guys know that suicide is mentioned in this chapter and will probably be brought up in future ones...just in case you feel a bit sensitive on that issue :)

Chapter 13:

A large bay window sat at the far edge of the room, it's thick curtains drawn open to let in pale sunshine that spread across the rather large lounge room that was placed near the lobby of the girl's dormitory. Cliques of girls of all ages huddled in certain spots or corner, filling the room with a constant uproar of chatter and laughter.

"You're unusually quiet, Maka," Jackie commented as she sat on the end of a worn, cream colored-couch, painting her fingers a deep red as she propped her feet up on a nearby coffee table to dry her toenails.

"January blues, I guess" Maka said as she slumped deeper into couch with a sigh.

"Sup, fuckers," Kim said, appearing behind the couch before jumping over to sit between Maka and Jackie. She kicked her feet up and crossed her arms behind her head. "Didn't know you guys liked hanging out in this shitfest," she commented, checking out the many girls crowding the room.

Jackie shrugged as she painted her nails with an airy, bored expression.  
"Needed a change of scenery, I guess."

Kim nodded and nudged her chin out towards Maka, who sat expressionless, gazing blankly across the room. "What's wrong with this one?"

"'January blues,'" Jackie echoed, stretching out her fingers and admiring the fresh coat of polish on her nails.

"It's a real thing," Maka sighed, "January is dull, February is depressing, and March just pretends to be the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's still f'ing cold and snowy. I just wish it wouldn't be so cold..."

"I thought you hated warm weather," Kim laughed as she examined Jackie through the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, well I don't like freezing my ass off either," Maka said. "I need _some_ balance here."

Kim shrugged.  
"You've got a lipstick smudge," she suddenly muttered, staring at a splotch of raspberry-colored lipstick smeared over the corner of Jackie's lips.

"Shit, seriously?" Jackie said waving her hands frantically in attempt to dry them quickly.  
"Maka, why didn't you say something?" she whined as Maka faintly giggled and shrugged.

Kim licked the tip of her thumb and gently placed her hand under Jackie's chin with a side smile. "Let me get it real quick," she said, rubbing at the splotch with her thumb.

Maka looked over as she involuntarily picked at the coat of frosty-blue nail polish Jackie had recently forced onto her a few nights ago.  
She stared at Jackie and Kim and in that instant, _it clicked_.

"Jesus," Kim whispered, furrowing her brows. "The more I rub, the more it smears."

"Yeah, that's kind of what it does," Jackie said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, guys," a voice suddenly said behind them, causing Maka to warp back into reality instead picking away at her newfound realization. I mean, _that_ wasn't really her business anyway. Right?

" _Babe!"_ Jackie squealed as she swatted Kim's hand away before covering her mouth with her own hand.

Maka stifled a small sigh and eye-roll as she noticed the room of girls go a fair amount of decibels quieter as most of them eyed Soul with bug eyes and shy smiles.  
"What are you doing in the girl's lounge?" Maka murmured, unsure if she and Soul were 'cool' after their arguement in the hallway.

"Just wondering if you guys were free tomorrow night?" he said, leaning on the back cushion of the couch with his elbows. "There's this arcade place I've been meaning to check out..."

Kim turned around and smirked.  
"Free on Friday night? Yes. Willing to spend my Friday night at some lame-ass arcade? Hell no."

Soul shrugged.  
"Actually," he said with a smile, "You're the number one person I need to be there, Kim."

"She is?" Jackie said with sad puppy eyes as she lowered her hand, forgetting about the smear of red lipstick that now looked like a rash from Kim's rubbing.

"I am?" Kim asked.

"Yup," Soul said as Jackie and Kim exchanged a confused glance. Soul looked over at Maka to only get another confused glance thrown at him.  
He shrugged and mouthed ' _I'll explain later'._

"I mean, I'll try to make it, but you're buying me dinner," Kim said with smirk.

"Deal," Soul chuckled.

(Soul)

The girls pushed open the glass doors into the arcade, getting washed in shades of neon green and pink from the many game machines and lights. As usual, Jackie wore a well-put together outfit whereas Maka and Kim showed up in jeans and oversized sweatshirts.

"Hey, babe," Jackie murmured as she walked over to Soul, who was waiting for them nearby a trash can that smelled strongly of pizza grease and vomit.

"Any of you guys know that loser?" Kim said, motioning with her chin to some guy standing nearby the coin dispenser, obviously waving at them.

"Yup," Soul responded quickly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket as he nodded. "That's my old pal from back home. Name's Oxford."

"I thought you said you hated him and that he was a total prick?" Jackie said, raising an eyebrow.

"Shh…" Soul said suddenly, holding a finger over her mouth. "Pretend I never said that," he whispered into her ear.

"Hello there, you all must be Soul's friends," Ox said after they had walked over to him.  
He was eyeing Kim with a sharp stare accompanied with a stretched grin. "I'm Oxford, but you all can call me Ox."

"You seem familiar from somewhere…" Kim shrugged.

Ox broke into a more goofy grin and gave Soul a _look_.  
"Hey," Soul said suddenly, turning to face Maka and Jackie, "Why don't you two hang around here? Me, Ox, and Kim are probably gonna head over to the skeeball."

""I better be getting dessert too for this," she murmured, shooting Ox a scrutinizing stare.

"You're ditching me?" Jackie said, folding her arms and wishing she had taken the time to search for her waterproof mascara that was buried in the endless products of her make-up bag.

"No, babe, don't cry," he said with a smirk before swiftling planting a kiss on her lips. "It's a long story, trust me, I'd love to just spend the night alone with you," he whispered to her.

Kim scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Can you two break it up? Let's just bounce."

(Maka)

"I feel like Soul never knows when he's acting like a dick," Jackie murmured as she dropped a few tokens into the slot of a stuffed-animal crane machine for the hundredth time.

"You've been complaining about him all night," Maka sighed, leaning against the side of the adjacent machine as she held a paper cup of soda in her hand, "You know how guys can be…"

"Sorry, I talk a bit too much about my problems," she murmured, focusing intently on positioning the crane right above a small stuffed Totoro. "Not that I have any real problems anyway...I've got a boyfriend, I've got an education, I've got a ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip set ordered and on its way…"

"Nah, it's cool...I know Soul can be a bit of an ass, and it gets frustrating..." Maka said before taking a sip of her soda.

"I just can't stop thinking about him…" Jackie shrugged as she picked at her manicure, thinking a bit too much that she didn't notice she successfully won her Totoro. "Would you be pissed if I wanted to go check on him and Kim?"

Maka bent down and pulled the Totoro out of the prize slot with her free-hand before handing it over to Jackie. "No, not if you think it'll calm you down," she shrugged.

"Thanks…" Jackie murmured, examining her cheaply stitched but hugging it close regardless.

(Soul)

"I can't believe how good he is at skeeball…" Kim wondered aloud as she walked a few paces behind Oxford, who was marching around declaring how wonderful his aim was.

Soul chuckled, leisurely walking next to her with his hands folded behind his head. "He's definitely proud of himself…"

"Check that out…" Ox said suddenly, whipping around to face them.  
"There's one of those Dance Dance Revolution machines here…" he said, pointing towards it with his thumb.

"I think I'm gonna need a smoke…" Soul muttered, imagining having to watch Ox try and break his back as he danced to show off to Kim.

"Why don't you go ahead? There's an exit back there," Ox said with a sly smile, motioning his hand to the glass door on the back wall.  
He raised his eyebrow to Soul in a way that sent the message that it was a good opportunity for him to be ' _alone'_ with Kim.

"Fine with me," Soul said with a shrug before shuffling out of the arcade through the back exit and into the chilly night, glad he didn't have to listen to the blasting music or Ox's failed attempts at flirting with Kim.

After burning the cigarette for a while and flicking some slate colored ash onto the perfectly white snow resting on the pavement, the glass door slammed open behind him as someone else joined him outside.

"Ugh!" Kim groaned as she stamped over, arms crossed in front of her sweater that had a large stain on the lower half.

"What happened to you?" Soul asked, throwing down his cigarette and putting it out with his sneaker. "Where's Ox?"

"I don't know...he got pretty absorbed in the whole dancing thing…" Kim shrugged as snowflakes began to collect on the strands of her dyed pink hair. "Some 13-year old punk had the balls to spill his dumbass slushie on me. If this place didn't have any security guards…"

Soul chuckled and shook his head. "I would pay to see that happen to you."

"Yeah, well I think I'm about ready for you to pay for my dinner," Kim sneered, "I overheard the pizza doesn't instantly make you wanna vomit, so that sounds good."

Soul nodded and began moving towards the door. "Yeah, wanna head in and find the other girls? I've been meaning to catch up with Jackie…"

"Yea-" Kim began before stepping on a patch of ice under the snow and slipping backwards.

"Oof!" Soul groaned as Kim landed directly on top of him, hitting the back of her head against his nose.

"Shit…" she murmured, sitting up on his stomach as she rubbed her head.

"That's why you need to take off those dumb Converse during the winter," Soul muttered as he sat up, causing Kim to slide into his lap.  
"They have no friction on the bottom, I'm surprised you haven't slipped and cracked your head open on the cement yet, Kim…" he said rubbing his nose.  
"Kim?"

Kim held her hand suspended In the air as if she was frozen, blocking off Soul's view at whatever she was staring at through the glass doors as she sat on top of him.

"What is it?" Soul murmured, craning his neck to the side to see Jackie standing inside, wide-eyed in shock with her red coated lips slightly parted. Her surprise quickly turned into anger as she chucked a small stuffed Totoro at the door and ran out of Soul's line of sight.

"Jackie!" Soul shouted into the silence of the outside before abruptly standing up and bursting back inside the arcade, the sounds of loud music and game machines filling his ears again.

"What the hell, Soul?" Maka shouted, jogging behind Soul who was heading in the direction that Jackie ran.

"Maka?" Soul asked, suddenly stopping his run. "You saw?"

"Yeah, we saw," Maka said with a bite, crossing her arms, "Me and Jackie went to find you guys, but all we found was Ox attempting to recreate 'Single Ladies" on the Dance Dance Revolution platform!"

"It was a wonderful performance," Ox hissed, appearing beside Maka with a look on his face that was so beyond pissed Soul got chills.  
"I saw what was going on, too, Evans," Ox nearly growled.

"No, dude, I-I can explain…" Soul began waving his hands frantically.

"Don't." Ox said sharply before straightening himself and his collar.  
"Soul, our deal is off. Maka, why don't you go find Jackie?" he said, not once removing his stare from Soul's eyes.

Maka shrugged and jogged off, not in the mood to probe for answers since she knew her best friend was off probably sobbing in a bathroom stall, yelling at herself for not wearing her waterproof mascara.

"Dude," Soul said desperately, "It was an accident, okay? Don't jeopardize your opportunity with Kim because of some misunderstanding-"

"I can get Kim without you," Ox said sharply, "And especially without you having her get so comfortable on your lap outside for the world to see."

Soul bit his lip. "I need to know where Ren is, I need to know what she had to tell me."

Ox laughed to himself and shook his head.  
"Ren never came looking for you. I lied."

Soul's eyes widened with anger.  
" _You motherfucker…"_

"Her sister did, however," Ox said, unaffected by Soul's sudden surge of fury.  
"That one stripper who has that whole cat get-up? With the purple hair…"

"Blair," Soul whispered, not bothering to relax his furrowed brows and gritted fists.  
"What did she have to tell me?"

Ox smiled widely but his eyes remained cold.  
"Ren died the week after you left for Shibusen," he said bluntly, "Overdosed on something in her bathroom, it was too late when her sister found her."

" _You liar,"_ Soul whispered fiercely, boiling with outrage.

"What are you shocked?" Ox scoffed, getting closer to Soul with each word as he glared in pleasure at Soul's discomfort.  
"That's how all those little street rat friends of yours are gonna end up if they don't get thrown in the slammer first. They're gonna drop like flies into their sorry little gr-."

 _*BAM!*_

Ox went flying backwards onto the carpet that was stuck with blackened clumps of gum and bits of ripped ticket ends. A small trickle of blood poured out of his left nostril as he cradled his nose in his hand.  
"You'll pay for this, Soul," Ox said, droplets of blood splattering against his white dress shirt.

"You're disgusting," Soul spat, "You're sadistic, and awful, and I don't understand how one person can be so ugly inside and out."

" _ **I'll make you eat those words, Evans,"**_ Ox hissed as Soul ran off.

(Maka)

"Soul wouldn't do that to you, Jackie…" Maka murmured as she padded at the streaks of black that ran down Jackie's cheeks with a damp tissue, standing outside the girl's bathroom next to the water fountain.

"Y-You saw…" Jackie choked out in between sobs, "He and K-Kim...Oh, that b-bitch!"

Maka sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind Jackie's ear.  
"Jackie...I don't think Kim is necessarily into guys…"

"W-What?" Jackie said before Soul ran by, his leather jacket billowing behind him.  
"Babe!" she shouted.

He spun around and Maka was shocked to see that he, too, was crying.

"Babe, please," Jackie sobbed into her hand, "Please tell me it was an accident…"

Soul stood frozen, a few stray tears running down his cheeks.  
"Jackie, I swear on my life I would never cheat on you, especially by hooking up with your best friend behind some shitty arcade."

A faint smile cracked onto Jackie's face.  
"So you still love me…?"

Soul remained expressionless as the tears rolled off his jaw and splattered onto his jacket.  
"Jackie, we're over."

Maka stood shocked as he turned and walked off before leaving through the front exit, hands shoved into his pocket and his head hung over.

"He didn't even look back…" Jackie whispered as Kim came up behind them with the stuffed Totoro in her hand and a bleeding Ox standing next to her.

Kim held up the ball of fluff.  
"Uh… dropped something…?"

 _To be continued…_

A/N: Sorry chapter is super short! I know what the next part will be about, and I figured it'd be too long and too much to squeeze all of it into one chapter :(  
Anyways, I hope you did enjoy the little I wrote, remember to R&R...see you all next chapter! c;


	15. Chapter 15: Marshmallows and Soul Eater

A/N: Do you guys think I write too much? I think I do :p

Chapter 14:

" _Why didn't you tell me this?"_ Soul yelled into his phone, pacing circles in his dorm room as Black-Star sat at the top of his loft bed with a comic book in hand.  
" _Why didn't you tell me she died?"_

Black-Star shifted uncomfortably in his sheets as he heard Soul's phone smash against the wall, glass crunching against the plaster and falling in shards onto the floor.

"Soul…?" Black-Star murmured after a few moments of silence, looking over the edge of the bed rail at Soul.

Soul ran a hand through his uncombed hair, staring at the dent in the wall made by the impact of him chucking his cellphone.  
"I'm going out," he said gruffly, throwing his jacket on over his pajama shirt and pulling an old shoebox out from under his bed.

"Dude, you sure?" Black-Star muttered, "Maybe you should just hang out here and chill for a bit…?"

Soul shook his head and held the shoebox under his arm.  
"I'm good," he said before walking out the door and slamming it shut behind him.  
" _I'm good."_

(Maka)

She walked along the snow covered field, shivering in the chilly breeze that blew through the empty branches that encircled Shibusen. Dark circles rung around her bottom eyelids from spending the night handing Jackie tissues and trying to cheer her up. She should probably head out and buy a tub of cookie dough ice cream and some Snickers, that'd probably make Jackie feel a bit better, right?

"Soul?" Maka whispered, leaning over the brick wall at the further end of the field to find Soul huddled against the wall with a yellowed piece of paper unfolded in his hand.

"Yeah?" he choked out, not bothering to look away from the paper as Maka hoisted herself over the wall and walked over to him.

"Are you crying?" she whispered as she crouched in front of him, wistfully watching a stray tear glide down his cheek.

He shrugged and slowly placed the paper inside an open shoebox that sat next to him.  
"How's Jackie holding up?" he asked.

"Exactly how you think," Maka murmured.  
"What exactly happened last night, Soul? Why did all that happen...with Kim and then the break-up…"

"Nothing happened with Kim," Soul said sharply, "She slipped on a patch of ice and fell backwards onto me, I swear by it…  
The whole night I was just trying to get Kim and Ox together. He practically blackmailed me into doing it...I didn't mean to hurt Jackie…"

"And the breakup?" Maka asked.

Soul chuckled, causing his eyes to crinkle which allowed a few more tears to spill out.  
"It's hard to talk about…" he began, "There was someone else…"

"I thought you said you'd never cheat on her," Maka said, furrowing her brows.

"No, no, not like that, there was just this one girl I knew from back home..." Soul muttered before bursting into a sob.  
"I-I'm sorry, I'm just in a shitty place right now, Maka."

"No, don't be sorry," she whispered.  
"C'mon, let's get out of here before we both freeze, I know a place we can go talk if you're up to it?"

Soul buried his face in his hands and shrugged.

Maka sighed and poked his shoulder.  
"Sometimes it makes everything a little bit easier to talk to someone…" she said with a soft smile. "I promise I won't be angry."

Soul laughed.  
"You're always angry," he teased.

"Well, I'll give you an exception today because of everything, alright?" she joked.

Soul looked up with a sad smile.  
"Alright."

(Soul)

"Where'd you find this place?" Soul asked, slipping into a booth seat as he sniffed the strong scent of dark roast coffee and blueberry muffins.

Maka giggled and slid off her coat and mittens, sitting down opposite to Soul.  
"Killik brought me here once, the owner is some coffee bean fanatic or something…"

Soul nodded, gently tapping his foot along to the song playing out a nearby wall stereo.  
"I'm sorry I completely broke down in front of you," he muttered, staring down at his hands folded on top of the table.  
"It was totally uncool."

"Don't worry about it...honestly," Maka said with a small smile.  
"So... what's up with the shoe box?" she asked, nudging her chin towards the battered box that sat on the table next to Soul.

He sighed with a light chuckle before placing his hand on the lid of the box that was covered in song lyrics scribbled on with black sharpie.  
"Just a place I'd save some old things," he shrugged, "Kind of sentimental, I guess?"

Maka nodded. "Like a physical diary, huh?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I guess you can say that…"  
He slid the lid back and pulled out an envelope that had been yellowed from being constantly opened and closed.  
He passed the envelope over to Maka and stared at her hard.  
"I've never let anyone else see this," he mumbled, "It's probably one of the things that most important to me."

Maka slid it off the table and gingerly pulled out the folded letter from inside.  
She skimmed it over, her emerald green eyes darting from word to word.  
"Who was she?" she said, "Ren…"

"She was a girl from back home," he whispered, watching carefully as Maka's eyes studied Ren's signature at the bottom of the page.  
"But, she was so much more than just a girl...We grew up together, and I just...I just wish we could've been more than just childhood friends…"

"What happened to her?" Maka asked, lowering the lettering and looking up at Soul with sorry eyes.

Soul shrugged and looked off out the window, focusing on the patches of frost that left patterns of ice etched into the glass.  
"She started dating this one prick, Justin," Soul began, "And he ruined her. She was absolutely amazing and radiant, and Justin was just this big cloud of negativity and messed up shit…"  
"He hurt her, Maka," Soul mumbled as a tear slid down his cheek, "And I didn't do anything about it.  
I was too afraid of him, and going against my promise to her to not tell anyone, and I was afraid of what my family would have said if they knew about the crowd I was hanging out with…  
I was afraid if I said something I'd lose her forever, but then I didn't say anything and now she's really gone forever, Maka…"

"Soul…" Maka whispered.

"He got her pregnant so she left town to get away from him because she knew he'd be angry.  
That letter...she wrote it to me before she left. She joked and asked me to make a wish for her on a star, and on my drive to Shibusen I saw one and I wished that one day we'd both be okay and happy. With or without each other.  
But a week later she killed herself...She's dead, Maka," Soul sobbed, covering his mouth with his hand and biting down on his lip.

Maka gripped Soul's wrist from his free hand. "Soul…" she whispered with a hurtful expression, unsure whether she should say something or let him cry it out.

"And my family knew she was dead, too…" he choked out. "But they hated her and they hated my friends. They wanted me to act as if to show off how rich or how talented my family was. I hated the idea of acting as if I was above someone else because of what I had.  
No one at Shibusen really knows who I am, not even Black-Star. No one knows I'm rich or that my brother's famous because I hid all of it.  
I just want to be myself without people knowing I'm the 'rich guy' or 'that celebrity's brother'. I just want to be me. I just want to live…"

She squeezed his wrist and nodded slowly.

Soul sniffled and looked over at her with his reddened eyes.  
"I'm so sorry about Jackie, Maka," he began. "I should have never dated her because deep down I knew I loved Ren...I'm so sorry I hurt her feelings."

"It's okay, Soul," Maka whispered. "Jackie's a strong girl, she'll forgive you and move on…"

Soul smiled vaguely and let his eyes hover over Maka's hand wrapped around his wrist for a few seconds.  
"Thanks for listening to all this, Maka," he said, "There's something about you that terrifies me but at the same time makes me feel like I could tell you anything…"

"Even if I'll probably yell at you after you tell me?" she teased.

Soul laughed.  
"It's probably for my best intentions that you yell at me for the stupid shit I do, honestly…"

(Soul)

A bitter cold hung in the air as the falling snow had turned into an almost powder like substance due to the extreme temperatures.  
Maka shuffled cautiously over the ice covered sidewalks bundled up in a thick, baby pink coat and a large knit scarf looped around her neck.  
She kind of looked like a pink marshmallow, at least that's what Soul thought.

"So how are you feeling?" Maka asked as Soul walked beside her with his shoebox tucked under his arm.

"A lot better, actually," he admitted with a shrug even though his eyes still seemed a bit red.  
"Thanks for listening to my sappy, depressing life story, by the way."

Maka chuckled and punched him in the arm.  
"I told you talking helps…"

"With the right person, I guess," he said. "I'm surprised you didn't start screaming at me when I cried like a five year old."

"Oh c'mon, I don't scream _that_ much," Maka said as Soul rolled his eyes with a smile.  
"Besides, a real man shouldn't be afraid to cry in front of a girl. It's kind of romantic."

"You're really into those sappy, lovey-dovey things, huh?" he said.

"You're the one that read Perks of Being a Wallflower," Maka teased, remembering him quoting the book back when they ran into each other on Halloween.

"I was like twelve when I read it, okay?" Soul scoffed, "And I read it for the plot."

Maka laughed and shook her head. "If you say so…"

"You know one day, me and you should go-" he began.

 _ ***ring!* *ring!***_

"Sorry!" Maka muttered as she pulled her phone from her coat pocket.  
"I got to take this…" she said as she answered the phone.

"Maka?" Kid said from over the phone with a desperate tone in his voice. "Can I come meet up with you? I'm really not feeling too well…"

"Yeah, I'll be back in a few, I just ran to get coffee with someone," she said into the phone as Soul shot her a confused glance.

"With someone?" Kid asked, static faintly blurring the sound of his words.

"With Soul..." Maka said.

"I'm outside your room door," Kid said bluntly with an edge to his voice.  
"Be here soon, please," he begged.

"Will do..." Maka sighed before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Soul questioned.

Maka shrugged  
"Just someone…"

(Maka)

"Kid?!" Maka called into the empty hallway after checking her dorm room for any sign of him.  
" _Where could he have run off to…"_ Maka wondered before walking over to the attic doors to check if he had snuck up there once again.

"Hey, Maka," Crona mumbled, sitting outside the attic door with his knees tucked under his chin.

"Oh hey, Crona…" Maka sighed, sliding down the wall to sit next to him. "What are you doing sitting on the floor in the girl's dorm?"

Crona shrugged.  
"I guess I could ask you the same question…" he murmured.

Maka laughed at this. "Have you seen Kid around here?"

"Mhm..." Crona mumbled, staring off at the opposite wall with an uninterested stare,  
"He's with Ms. Marie in her office, at least that's where I saw her take him..."

" _What?"_ Maka said with a concerned look, hoping he wasn't being reprimanded for lurking around the girl's dorm.

"He was having a huge meltdown in the hallway," Crona began, "said he wanted to die or something, he seemed pretty upset. He should write a poem about how he feels, that's what makes me feel better..."

Maka shot up and darted down the hall towards Ms. Marie's office before pausing at the corner at the sight of Headmaster Death standing in the center of the hallway.

"There is nothing seriously wrong with my son!" Headmaster Death bellowed loudly, causing Maka to shrink away and hide in the adjacent hallway.

"I'm telling you that your son needs help!" Marie shouted.  
"You can't keep turning a blind eye to this, please!"

"He is absolutely fine," Death said, "He has a therapist who helps him very much!"

"Your son told me he wants to hurt himself, Death!" Marie screamed, "Do you see that as absolutely fine!"

"He's only feeling this way because he's been sneaking over to these dorms to mess around with the girls instead of going to his therapy sessions!" Headmaster Death yelled.  
"And do I not pay you to keep an eye on these dorms? Maybe this problem would have never came up if you watched the halls a bit better!"

Crona jogged up next to Maka and tapped her on the shoulder.  
"What's going on?" Crona whispered, only to be shushed by Maka.

"Listen," Maka mumbled.

"Death, you're just afraid of seeing the problem," Marie said grimly. "You're afraid to do anything serious to help your son because in doing so you'd have to accept that there's something wrong with him."

"There is nothing wrong with him," Death affirmed.

"You're afraid to accept it because you're afraid to believe that Kid could turn out like his older brother, but in doing this you're making his situation a whole lot worse!"

"Marie…" Death's voice warned.

"It's the truth!" Marie shouted.  
"I've known your son for a long time, Death. I care about him, I care about these kids. I know how hard it is to accept that someone you love has a serious problem," she began, "With Stein...I-"

"You're fired," Death said bluntly, causing Maka to look over to Crona with a horrified expression.

"What?" Marie murmured, barely loud enough for Maka and Crona to hear from the other hall.

"Marie, you are fired," Death repeated, "Go pack your things. Thank you for your time here…"

There was silence after that expect the sound of Headmaster Death's heavy footsteps against the carpeted hallway floor and the sound of the stairwell door closing slamming shut.

Maka and Crona shuffled out into the hall.

"Ms. Marie?" Maka mumbled as Marie stood dumbfounded in the hall.

Marie shook her head and looked over at the both of them with a sad smile, motioning for them to come over.  
She threw her arms around them and squeezed, a few tears dripping out of her eyes.  
"I love you, kids. Please, never stop being strong and don't be afraid to reach out to me when things get hard."

"No…" Crona cried, "You can't go, Marie. Maybe Death will give you a second chance, maybe he was just angry…"

Marie pulled away and ruffled Crona's hair.  
She looked over at Maka with a sad smile before pulling out a small envelope that was sitting in the pocket of her blazer.

"I've been meaning to give this to you," Marie murmured.  
"You're father wrote back to you," she began, "I know you two have had a hard past, but try to to not hold grudges. Try to reconnect, please, for me."

(Soul)

"Dude, where have you been?" Black-Star said as he stood over his laptop, staring intently at the screen.

"Out," Soul said as he threw his jacket onto the floor and pushed his shoebox underneath his bed with his sneaker.

"Do you have a Tumblr?" Black-Star asked, clicking away at his laptop.

"Nah, not really into social media," Soul said.  
"Why?"

"So apparently some kid created this Tumblr page for the school a few years back where students can post anonymously…" Black-Star explained.

"And?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just come see this," Black-Star said, motioning for him to come over.

Soul walked over and hovered over Black-Star's shoulder, staring intently at the screen where a message was displayed in the center of the screen.

" _To the jerk who thinks it's okay to mess with me: be ready for a year that'll hurt much more than getting punched in the face. Hope Ren is protecting you from above, you'll need it. Watch out, Soul Eater."_

"Psh, petty asshole," Soul scoffed shaking his head. "This is why I don't have social media."

"He called you Soul 'Eater'," Black-Star said, looking over the words on the screen.

" _I'll make you eat those words, Evans,"_ Ox had yelled at Soul the night before at the arcade.  
Soul shrugged.  
"Well, definitely a better nickname than 'Black-Star'.

Black-Star punched Soul in the arm.  
"You better watch yourself, Soul Eater."

 _To be continued…_

A/N: This chapter was totally written out of pure procrastination...I have finals tomorrow :p Probably going to fail English...but ya know.  
Anyways, good luck to you guys if you have any exams or tests coming up, and as always, please R&R! Thanks for reading :)


	16. Chapter 16: Two Years Ago

A/N: Ya'll so sweet in the comments, haha c:  
So here's Maka's backstory from before she started High School and before she started attending Shibusen.  
I used a lot of characters of from Soul Eater Not!, but I don't think I kept them that much in character, oops ;p

* * *

(Maka Albarn, 3:30 PM on the final day of Middle School)

* * *

The final bell rang out through the empty halls of a large, out-dated middle school centered in the Chicago suburbs, causing an ocean of students to flood the hallways with an uproar of chatter and laughter filled with the anticipation of summer break.

Each of them scattered from the flow of movement in the center of the aisles to their position in front of their own locker, surrounded by their own group of people.  
Some cliques of students all shared the same variety of rainbow dyed locks of hair while others sported newly bought sneakers and brand-name sweatpants.  
Either way, almost everyone seemed to have their own place to be, their own group of friends to call up if they wanted to go out or just hang and talk. _Almost everyone_.

Maka Albarn shoved her way through the groups of kids crowding the halls, her arms full of a new book series she planned to read over break.  
A pair of thick, hipster-style glasses shieled the bright emerald color of her rather large eyes while two long braids swung against the back of her sweater-vest at the rhythm of her walk.

They say in eighth-grade you're the big fish in a little pond, but Maka felt like a minnow in a swarm of sharks.  
Luckily, a few other minnows trying to survive along with her.

By her locker stood a girl in all black with teased, dark brown pigtails.

Maka smiled wide, showing off her braces that matched the blue color of the Nintendo DS her friend was holding in her hands.

"Yo, Tsugumi," Maka hummed as she put in her locker combination.

Tsugumi let out a disgruntled sigh before slamming shut her video game and slipping it into her raincoat pocket.  
" _Shitty Tom Nook,"_ she grumbled to herself.

Maka giggled and shook her head as she emptied out her book bag that was covered in anime pins and string-doll keychains into her locker.

"Oh hey, you're finally picking up the series?" Tsugumi asked, taking the stack of novels out of Maka's hands.  
"I swear, it's the best. I doubt you'll finish them all before break is over, though."

Maka shrugged.  
"I liked studying Greek Mythology in English, so I'd thought it'd be cool. Heard the movies suck ass, though," she said, slurring her -s's due to the metal tracks surrounding her teeth.

"Book movie's usually do…" Tsugumi sighed, thumbing through one of the novels before handing them back to Maka.

"Hey, guys!" a voice called out along with the sound of boots squeaking rapidly against the tiled floor.

Maka glanced over with a smile.

"Forgot you had to take the bus again, Tatane?" she laughed as a girl with light auburn bangs framing her face ran over to Maka's locker before hunching over to catch her breath.

"Yeah, I just wanted to catch up with you guys before everyone left," she said in between gasps of air.

"You guys still coming to my birthday party next Saturday, right?"

Maka nodded and shifted the books in her arms.  
"Wouldn't miss it, you still doing the pool-sleepover thing?"

"Yup!" Tatane nodded with a big smile, her cheeks red from running through the school.

"Oi, check it out…" Tsugumi butted in, nudging Maka with her elbow.

Maka slung her pastel-pink backpack over her shoulder before turning around to catch sight of one of her peers walking past her locker.  
He looked up and smirked at the three of them, his dimples barely visible from the mop of shaggy black hair that covered most of his face.

" _Akane Hoshi…"_ Tsugumi whispered to herself.  
"One day, I'm going to have the guts to talk to him…"

"You've been saying that since the sixth grade, Tsugumi," Maka chuckled.

"He's such a douchebag, guys," Tatane groaned as they watched him walk off down the other end of the hallway, dragging his beat-up skateboard behind him.  
"I don't know what everyone sees in him..."

"You just don't understand, Tatane," Tsugumi huffed.  
"Don't you have a bus to catch?"

"Mm! I forgot" Tatane said before running off.  
"Don't forget to bring your swimsuits for Saturday!" she called out, glancing back and waving her hand before disappearing into the crowds.

"Don't think she's too old to be having a birthday party? With the pool and the cake…" Tsugumi muttered as she stared down at her worn Converse high-tops.

Maka laughed.  
"C'mon, you love swimming and cake. It'll be great, just like every year."

Tsugumi shrugged.

"Anya invited me over to her house next Saturday," she murmured, "Kind of like a big house party for the end of eigth grade..."  
She shifted and looked up at Maka. "She wanted me to ask you if you wanted to come…"

Maka chewed her lip.  
It had been a good two years since she and Tsugumi hung out together in Anya's rather large home, binging on Oreos and watching MTV on a huge flatscreen.  
"We can't ditch Tatane like that, though," Maka said.

"Oh c'mon, It'll be so much fun," Tsugumi pleaded, tugging on Maka's sleeve.  
"I already told Anya we'd be there…"

"Tsugumi…" Maka sighed.

"We've been going to Tatane's birthday parties for the past five years, it won't be such a big deal if we miss one."

"Akane and Clay even said they'd be there, too," Tsugumi teased, poking Maka in the shoulder.

"Why would Anya invite Akane if they just broke up?" Maka murmured, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Because she invited everyone in the eighth grade class," Tsugumi said exasperated, "Including us!"

"But not Tatane..." Maka said, shaking her head.

"Tatane wouldn't have come anyway, she's too 'shy for this kind of stuff…"  
Tsugumi pulled on Maka's sleeve.  
"Please? For me?"

"Fine!" Maka groaned reluctantly, slamming her locker shut.  
"I'll go."

* * *

(Next Saturday, 5:00 PM)

* * *

"Getting read for Tatane's party tonight?" Kami asked through the laptop she took with her on business trips, her voice flowing out of Maka's computer speakers.

Maka nodded, staring at herself in the floor mirror that stood next to her desk.  
"Yup," she lied, feeling a pang of guilt explode in her stomach as she combed through her long blonde hair with her fingers.  
"How's Paris?"

" _Belle comme d'habitude,"_ Kami said in a cracked French accent with a smile.  
"How's Chicago? What've you been up to?"

"Reading, talking to Tsugumi and Tatane...you know, the usual," Maka said, weaving her hair into double braids as she watched the pixelated image of her mother through her computer screen.

"I'm so glad you've found such good friends at home, Maka," Kami sighed.  
"I wish I was smart enough to find good friends like you…"

Maka chewed her lip as she braided her hair.  
" _Good friends,"_ she thought to herself, remembering an old shoebox she once found buried in the back of her mother's closet filled with old polaroid photos that were too marred from age to see the clear picture.  
All she could make out were the small blobs of green and smears of red that made out her mother's green eyes and her papa's shaggy red hair.  
" _Good friends…."_

Her mother took a deep breath and adjusted the pair of thin-framed glasses she wore.  
"You'll be starting High School this fall," she said, "Study hard and stick to those who you know. Don't go running off with any troublemakers or boys, Maka!"

"Mama, I know," Maka groaned with a sigh. "You tell me every time…"

"And I'll keep telling it to you because I wish someone wouldn't stop telling me it when I was your age," Kami said, shaking her head.  
"You're a smart girl, Maka. Stay that way."

Maka plopped into her desk chair and sighed.  
"I will, Mama…"

Her mother laughed and stared at Maka through her computer's camera.  
"Never change who you are, sweetheart…"

* * *

(7:00 PM)

* * *

The fresh, cool night air of summertime filled Maka's lungs as she rode her bike down the winding streets of her neighborhood, an overnight bag filled with a swimsuit and sunscreen attached to the front even though Maka knew she wasn't heading over to Tatane's house.

She pushed down her bike's kickstand when she found herself outside Anya's home, larger than any other house on the block and certainly the only one with a tennis-court built into the backyard.

"You're late!" Tsugumi giggled as she pulled Maka into the entranceway of the home, causing her to drop her bag next to the door along with one of her books she brought with her in case she happened to get bored.

Tsugumi teetered on a pair of stilettos that replaced her beloved pair of black converse while her hair was straightened as flat as a sheet instead of being overly teased or crimped.

"Long time no see, Albarn," Anya laughed, wearing a pair daisy dukes and a fitted crop top.

"Yeah, nice to see you, Anya," Maka said sheepishly, peering over Anya's shoulder to the masses of kids dancing and shouting to each other in the huge foyer.  
Colored Christmas lights were strung over the walls and red paper cups were taped over the lights to give the room a red-violet glow.  
A heavy scent of smoke wafted through the air.

"C'mon," Tsugumi pressed, pulling Maka by her wrist, "I brought something for you…"

Maka let Anya and Tsugumi lead her up the stairs and down a long hallway, passing by kids smoking and making out in the corridor.

" _This is insane,"_ Maka whispered to herself as she walked into Anya's room which was no longer covered in bunnies and ruffles like Maka remembered, but instead decorated with animal print and boy band posters.

"Here," Tsugumi said, handing a tiny, black tube dress to Maka.

"Oh, I don't know…" Maka said, holding the dress out in her hands and shaking her head to only have one of her braids yanked.

"Hey, what's that for?!" Maka complained as Anya came up behind her and began messing with her hair.

"Sorry!" Anya murmured, "I'm just going to fix up your hair, it would look nice curled considering it's so long…"

"What's wrong with my braids?" Maka muttered as Tsugumi plucked off Maka's glasses and began drawing in her eyebrows with a dark brown pencil.

"Braids are for kids, Maka," Tsugumi giggled.

"I think I have an old push-up bra that would fit you..." Anya hummed as she worked on Maka's hair.  
"It'll make your boobs look full for the dress…"

"Oh, you should totally borrow a pair of high heels to make your legs look slimmer…" Tsugumi said as she capped the eyebrow pencil and moved on to Maka's lashes, coating them in heavy, clumpy mascara.

"I don't know about all this guys," Maka said, "It seems kind of excessive…"

Anya laughed and shook her head.  
"Trust me, we're gonna make you look great…"

* * *

(8:00 PM)

* * *

Maka made her way down the grand staircase back into the foyer with Anya and Tsugumi close behind her, giggling to each other and teetering with every step they took.

" _...We're just having fun  
We don't care who sees…"_

Maka wore the black tube dress with red high heels that were surprisingly not that uncomfortable.  
She sported a full face of make-up including bright lipstick that matched her shoes. Her long blonde hair was curled into beach waves and swayed against her back with every step she took.

" _...So what we go out? That's how it's supposed to be..._

 _Living young and wild and free…"_

"Alright, we'll go get you some beer. You hang around for a few minutes," Anya said, linking arms with Tsugumi.

"Let me know if you see you-know-who," Tsugumi winked to Maka before disappearing into the crowd with Anya.

Maka stood amongst all the people, hugging her arms and looking wide-eyed at all the commotion.

" _I can't believe I did this,"_ Maka thought to herself, swallowing an invisible lump that formed in her throat after lying to Mama and her aunt about where she was going tonight.

"You cold?" a voice suddenly said behind her, causing goose-bumps to rise up on her arms.

"Clay…" Maka murmured, standing about a foot shorter than the tall boy infront of her. He had his sun-kissed blonde hair spiked up and held a red cup of some drink concoction in his hand.

"How's the party going for you?" he said before taking a sip of whatever was in his cup.

Maka shrugged.  
"There's a ton of people here...I didn't think there were that many people in our grade…"

"There isn't," he laughed, causing his drink to slosh over the side of his cup and spill onto Maka's shoes. "I'm pretty sure three-fourths of the kids are at least sixteen…"

" _Damn,"_ Maka murmured, her eyes scanning the crowd as Akane walked over to Clay with two beer bottles in his hand.

"Maya, right?" Akane said to Maka, clinking his beer bottle against Clay's plastic.

"Maka…" Maka murmured as Akane held out an extra beer bottle to her.

"You've seen Anya around?" Akane asked her as Maka took a sip from the bottle, the fluid filling her mouth and stinging her throat. She choked back a cough.

Maka shook her head as her eyes slightly watered.  
"She went to get some drinks with Tsugumi…"

Akane nodded and took a drink of his beer and Maka did the same despite how bad it burned the back of her throat.

"Hey, why don't the three of us head out back? It's a nice night…"

"Oh, sure, I guess," Maka muttered, clutching her cup.

Akane smiled at Clay with a shrug.  
"Sounds cool…"

* * *

(8:30 PM - 12:00 AM)

* * *

What felt like hours passed by.

Maka found herself sitting crossed-legged on a reclining patio chair outside Anya's house with Akane's jacket draped over her shoulders.  
The beer bottle in her hand was replaced multiple times by shot glasses and plastic cups of different colored liquids as the group of kids around her cheered for her to drink more.  
The neon-pink flamingo shaped lights strung around the porch burned Maka's eyes and gave her a headache, but she continued to laugh uncontrollably and slur out stories she couldn't even remember actually happening in her life.

Time spun faster than Maka's head.

She wasn't outside anymore.  
Looking up, the dark trees and starless night sky were replaced by a plaster covered ceiling and a spinning ceiling fan that made her sick to her stomach.

She strained her eyes open and shot up, realizing she was lying on top of Akane's bare chest.

She screamed and smacked him across the face before rolling off of him, luckily still feeling her dress against her body.

"What the fuck?" he groaned, sitting up as Maka stood and pulled her dress down to cover her thighs.

"What did you do?" she yelled.  
" _What did we do?"_

"Woah, just chill out," Akane said, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"We practically didn't do anything..."

"Then why was I on top you!" she shouted, searching the bedroom for her heels.

Akane laughed and propped himself up on his elbows.  
" _You_ put yourself on top of _me_ , don't you remember?" he chuckled.  
"You were wild, man…"

Maka gritted her fists.  
"You knew I was drunk! You shouldn't have brought me up in here alone with you!" she yelled.

"I didn't do anything! You're the one that wouldn't leave me the hell alone!" he shouted back, sliding off the bed and standing up.  
"Maybe _you_ shouldn't have drank that much!"

"Akane-" Maka began to yell when the bedroom door swung open behind her, letting in rays of colored light along with a strong scent of marijuana and vomit.

"Maka, is that-" Tsugumi said, peeking her head into the room before her eyes fell onto the unmade bed and the bruises that formed on Maka's neck and Akane's chest.

"You're sick…" Tsugumi whispered, giving Maka a hard glance before slamming the door shut.

" _Tsugumi!"_ Maka shouted, running out of the room and following Tsugumi down the long hallway.  
"I'm sorry, I swear...I didn't mean to-"

"No, just shut up, Maka!" Tsugumi whispered fiercely as she whipped around to face her.  
"You knew I liked Akane and you went and had sex with him!"

"We didn't have sex! We didn't…" Maka sobbed as streaks of black mascara and glitter ran down her cheeks.

"You always get whatever you want, Maka," Tsugumi said with narrowed eyes.  
"The perfect grades, the perfect mom with her perfect job, the perfect house…"

"Tsugumi-" Maka began before she felt bile rise up in her throat, causing her to run off to the nearest bathroom.

"Sick…" Tsugumi muttered to herself as she gritted her teeth in jealousy, watching Maka run to the bathroom.  
"Absolutely sick…"

* * *

(12:20 AM)

* * *

Maka hung her head over the toilet seat, sobbing quietly to herself as music boomed on the other side of the bathroom door.  
" _I've got to get home,"_ she thought to herself as she pushed herself to her feet, steadying herself against the tile wall as the room spun into a blur of color before coming into focus again.  
She wiped her mouth on her arm before pushing the door open and making her down the grand staircase with a pounding headache.

" _Little whore!"_ a voice yelled at her before she got shoved to the floor in the center of the foyer, people clearing around her and quieting down to see the commotion.

"Anya?" Maka murmured, pushing herself to sit up on the floor.

Anya stood over her with her arms crossed and hatred in her eyes. A few paces behind her stood Tsugumi and Akane, who luckily put his shirt back on to cover the bruises.

"You slept with my boyfriend!" Anya screamed at her.

Maka's face turned red as her eyes traveled amongst the clusters of her snickering peers that surrounded the four of them.

"No-no…" Maka mumbled, "I didn't-"

"You were all over him!" Anya yelled, "Can't you handle a drink without completely losing your shit?"

"Apparently not…" Akane snickered behind her.

Maka looked up at Tsugumi with a pleading stare but got nothing in return.  
She pulled herself up and darted towards the front door, grabbing her bag and novel that still sat nearby from when she dropped it early.

With eyes full of tears, she ran down the length of Anya's front yard before getting on her bike and riding off home so fast the halo's of light from the street lamps flew past her.

" _I hate myself,"_ she thought to herself bitterly as Anya's huge home got smaller and smaller behind her with every pedal.  
" _I absolutely hate myself…"_

* * *

(12: 40 AM)

* * *

Maka tore off her tube dress and tossed it on the floor of her bedroom, leaving her in only her underwear and Anya's old push-up bra.

"Kami, please pick up when you can," Maka's aunt said into her cellphone from the other side of her bedroom door. "It's about Maka...I know you're busy at work, but please call back as soon as you get this voicemail…"

Maka looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was a mess of smeared mascara and red-lipstick. Dark circles hung under her eyes and hickeys formed from the base of her jaw to her bra line. Her feet were swollen from teetering around in heels and chunks of vomit stuck to her hair.

She picked up a pair of scissors that were sitting at her desk.

" _Braids are for little kids, Maka…"_

She cut off chunks of her long blonde hair and let them fall to the floor.

" _A push-up bra will make your boobs look fuller, Maka…  
Heels will make your legs look slimmer, Maka…"_

She tore off her book posters that hung around her room and clawed off the anime stickers that were stuck to the pink luggage at the head of her bed.

" _You're wild…  
Maybe __**you**_ _shouldn't have drank that much…"_

She flung the scissors into the mirror, causing it to send fragments of glass into Maka's arms and thighs.

" _Maka!"_ her aunt screamed from the side of the door, trying the doorknob for the hundredth time in desperation even though she knew Maka had locked it.  
"Please, talk to me if you're upset, honey. What happened at Tatane's? _What's the matter_?"

Maka flung herself onto her bed as tiny puddles of blood pooled out her cuts.  
" _I HATE MYSELF,"_ she screamed into her pillow, smearing make-up residue and tears all over her white pillowcase.  
" _I hate myself because I'm stupid and I hate my friends because they're fake and I hate boys because they're assholes…"  
_ " _They're such big fucking assholes..."_

* * *

(8:30 AM)

* * *

Early morning sunlight pooled into the window, casting rays of sun across the small room. The sounds of doctors and nurses talking to patients flowed behind the hospital door along with the faint smell of rubbing alcohol and sterilizer.

"Mama…" Maka murmured as her mother burst in through the door, throwing her arms around Maka and stroking her cut-up blonde hair.  
"I thought you were in Paris…"

Kami shook her head.  
"My babygirl…" she cried into Maka's neck before pulling away to examine Maka's face.

"What happened?"

Maka shrugged and picked at the bandages on her arms from the shattered glass of her mirror.

Kami swallowed hard.  
"You weren't at Tatane's last night?"

Maka shook her head.

"Where we you, Maka?" her mother asked desperately.  
"Look at me, and please tell me where you went and what happened. Did someone hurt you?"

Maka nodded and bursted into tears before wrapping her arms around her mother.  
"Please," she whimpered, "Don't send me to public high school…"

"Why?" her mother asked shocked. "Tatane and Tsugumi will be there with you along with everyone else from your class…I thought you loved school here?"

Maka cried even harder, remembering the tweets ands comments she saw posted about her on social media this morning. Her read but unresponded to messages she had sent to Tsugumi, Tatane, and even Anya.

Kami wiped a tear off of Maka's cheek with a faint nod.  
"Okay," she whispered, "It's going to be okay…"

Maka bit the inside of her cheek.  
"I'm sorry, Mama," she sobbed, "I promise, I won't let you down ever again…"  
" _Never again…"_

* * *

A/N: Lol, I rewatched Katy Perry's old TGIF music video and got inspired. So much nostalgia…  
Anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted me to write some more backstories in between chapters? I have an idea of what I'd do for Crona, Kid, and maybe even Black-Star if you guys like the idea…  
Again, thanks for reading and remember to R&R! See you guys next chapter ;)


	17. Chapter 17: Parachutes and Spider Webs

A/N: Finally sixteen years old and I still don't know how correctly use a microwave. Or an oven. Or any appliance for that matter. (Ya'll should see me operate a car, yikes…)  
IMPORTANTE: Wanted to let you guys know this chapter heavily includes suicide, just in case you feel sensitive on that topic :)

* * *

Chapter 17

* * *

(Maka)

" _..._ _Hey, Miss Murder, can I?  
Hey, Miss Murder, can I?  
Make beauty stay if I take my life...?_"

Maka sat on an old bean bag chair she recently dragged up into her dorm room, flipping through pages of text from the History book that sat propped up in her lap.  
Oxford's grades had officially transfered in from the records of his old school, leaving him only one hundredth of a point behind Maka Albarn in the 'unofficial' class rank.  
She thought about this as she furiously scribbled down notes and ideas onto her notebook, glancing up occasionally at the small postcard that she stuck on the wall space above her desk. Written in her mother's handwriting, the word " _coraggio"_ was printed plainly on the front of the card above an ocean scene.

"You sure you don't want to come out with me and Black-Star tonight?" Tsubaki asked as she brushed out her long black hair in front of the mirror that hung above her desk, "You've been in here hanging your head over that textbook since classes ended yesterday afternoon! It's Saturday, you should be taking a break from all that work!"

Maka shrugged, refusing to take her eyes off the piece of notebook paper that she was quickly filling up with her rather small, tight handwriting.  
"Don't want to fall behind before they make class rank official after the end of the year exam," she mumbled, pulling out a highlighter and making quick strokes of color over her notes, "Besides, it'd be kinda awkward if I just stuck around with you two…"

Tsubaki slightly frowned as she fashioned her hair into a high ponytail, allowing a few wisps of hair to fall over her forehead.  
"It's actually been getting kind of awkward for me…" she muttered, watching her own navy blue eyes in the mirror.

Maka pulled her eyes from her notebook, still gripping the uncapped neon pink highlighter in one hand. "What do mean?" she asked, wishing she'd bit her tongue and minded her business when she saw the hurt expression on Tsubaki's face.

"I don't know…" Tsubaki sighed, focusing on dumping her makeup containers and brushes back into her small, mint-colored cosmetic pouch.  
"I guess things just aren't the same as they were last year…"

Maka nibbled her lip.  
"He's not bothering you or anything though, right?"

"No, definitely not," Tsubaki said, giggling in spite of her gloomy mood. "He just seems so preoccupied, like something is bothering him. I can't quite put my finger on it…"  
She turned her head over to Maka and smiled wide, melting away any evidence of her heartbreak. "Don't worry about it, though, okay? I promise it's nothing…"

 _ ***ring!* *ring!***_

Maka nodded and parted her lips to say something before her phone went off, its rings shattering the overall quiet. She slipped her textbook off her lap and padded against her shaggy rug to the cell phone laying on her bed.

"Who's calling?" Tsubaki asked, busying herself with touching up her lipgloss.

Maka stared down at her phone in hand, the glass screen displaying Kid's name in black, bold letters. She chewed the inside of her cheek as Tsubaki shot her an unnoticed confused glance through the mirror.  
" _Maka?"_ Tsubaki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Maka stammered out, ignoring the call before tossing the phone back onto her bed.  
"It's no one."  
Tsubaki shrugged in reply, slinging her purse over her shoulder and leaving with a small smile and nod. "See you tonight then, I guess," Tsubaki said before shutting the door behind her to go meet up with Black-Star, leaving Maka alone with her homework in the dorm room.

Maka plopped back into her bean bag chair with a sigh, staring at the phone sitting on top of her comforter. It had been nearly two weeks since Marie caught Kid in the middle of a meltdown in the hallway, causing her to get fired over an argument she had with his father, other wise known as her boss.  
Lord Death had even called her into his office during class a few days after, giving her a small talk about why it was important she didn't aid Kid in skipping his therapy sessions. He told her very clearly and bluntly that maybe it'd be best for her to leave Kid alone for a little while.

 _ ***ding!* *ding!***_

Maka shot up out of her bean bag and marched over to her bed, flipping on her phone to check the message she just received:  
" _From Kid: come out behind the school, over the wall"_

She rocked on her heels, a pang of guilt suddenly hitting her in the stomach, remembering how happy Kid had appeared hanging out in her dorm room with her.  
All the problems he had shared with her during that short period of time when he had visited her in her dorm room. He'd talk on and on about life back home: the good times, the bad times, times when he wished he was never born or when he felt on top of the world. It made her happy, too, just to see how much it put him at ease to just relax with her.  
She hadn't even bothered to call him at all in the past two weeks; maybe she feared his father would find out. The Headmaster didn't typically seem like such a bad guy, but Maka had seen a new side of him when he had yelled at Marie and then fired her. She and Crona didn't believe Death meant it, but now there's a new lady sitting in Marie's old office.

Maka crept out of her dorm room after throwing on her coat, peering down the hall to make sure the coast was clear from the new supervisor of the girl's dorm. She softly slipped down the corridors, only passing by a few scattered girls who were hanging around the halls either dressed up to go out clubbing or in sweatpants and messy hair buns.

Gloomy skies greeted her outside, offering her little hope that warm weather would be on it's way. She passed over the muddy patches of yellowed grass and skipped over piles of slush that filled the once lush, flower-filled field behind the school to the brick wall that boarded the lot.

"Kid?" she called out, hoisting herself up to sit on top of the brick wall as a frigid breeze passed by, sending wisps of her hair swirling out.

He appeared out from behind one of the naked trees, his shaggy black hair mussed from the wind and his cheeks reddened from the cold. "You came..." he mumbled, staring at her with sombered eyes.

"Well, you called…" Maka giggled, hopping off the wall and walking over to him. "Long time no see, huh?"

Kid shook his head and shrugged. "Maka, I'm sorry about what happened...I'm sorry my father got so angry like that," he muttered, staring at her intently, "He doesn't get like that too often…I should've apologized earlier..."

"No, it's okay," Maka said reassuringly.  
"He's just really worried about you, I guess it's a dad thing?" she said with a shrug, her mind wandering off to her own father who she still occasionally saw leaving the school when the sun began to set. Would he have gotten angry like that over worrying about her health?

Kid wrapped his arms around her and sighed into the nape of her neck.  
"Everything is just so shitty right now…" he muttured.  
"I miss speaking to you. It helped me, honestly. It felt so nice to be with someone who just wanted to be with me for me, not because they wanted to leech off of me or expected anything else from me…"  
He pulled away from her. "That meltdown I had in the hallway…" he began.

"It's okay," Maka repeated with a small smile. "I know it's hard for you to come around, but I'm always a phone call away, okay? You don't have to go through this alone."

Kid looked deep into her eyes, his brows slightly furrowed in thought. He suddenly took his hand and placed it under her chin, tilting her head upward to him.  
"You promise you're not afraid of me?"

"I promise," Maka whispered, focusing on her reflection in his golden eyes before he pulled her into a short kiss.

"Kid…" Maka stammered, gently him pushing away.

"What's wrong? I thought that's how you felt about me," he said, grabbing onto her wrist and shaking his head. "You said you were okay with me…"

"I am," Maka said firmly, studying him as he stood there in front of her with a desperate expression on his face. "But not like this, I'm sorry..."

He stood gazing off downward into the distance with an expressionless stare.  
Maka nibbled her lip, staring down at his hand gripping her wrist as the memory of the bruise he left there on Halloween bubbled up inside of her.  
 _She had felt that way about him that night, hadn't she?_

"It's him, isn't he?" Kid said, causing Maka's head to snap up from looking down at his fingers entwined around her wrist.  
His expression was twisted. "He made this happen…"

"He who?' Maka asked, pulling her hand out of his grip and straightening her back. "What are you talking about?"

Kid laughed and shook his head, causing his shaggy bangs to sway against his pale forehead.  
"You liked me, Maka. I know you did, but I didn't realize how much I needed you until the past few weeks…"  
He shoved his hands into his pockets. "But you don't feel that way about me anymore, and it's because you've been hanging around that jackass who's probably feeling your head with useless shit about me…"

"Are you talking about Soul?" Maka asked, putting her hands on her hips with an irritated look on her face.

"No shit I'm talking about Soul!" Kid nearly shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "He's completely ludicrous! Why do you always have to be hanging around him?!"

Maka laughed at this despite the anger boiling up inside of her.  
"You're the one being completely ludicrous, Kid," she said.  
"I know you and Soul don't get along well but that shouldn't dictate whether or not I'm allowed to be with him! -And don't you blame him for me rejecting you! That isn't what any of this is about!"

"Then what is it about?" Kid argued. "The only change that's happen between now and then was that you and him got close!"

"You're ridiculous!" Maka yelled.  
"I don't like you in that way, okay, Kid? And the fact that I don't have those feelings for you has nothing to do with Soul or whoever I chose to be friends with! I just...I just don't have them anymore, okay? So just chill out…"

"Chill out…" Kid repeated, shaking his head with gritted fists still shoved into his coat pockets.

Maka took a deep breath and leaned against the tree behind her.  
"Why does it matter, though?" she muttered, "What made you suddenly realize you cared about me?"

"Because you care about me for me," Kid said, his bitterness melting away as he relaxed his shoulders and sighed. "You aren't afraid to handle my anger, and you listen to my problems instead of run away from them. I feel like I matter to you, and I'm afraid you'll forget about me one day…"

Another breeze rippled through the forest's edge, billowing Kid's coat and causing him to shudder from the cold.  
"I'll never forget about you, Kid," Maka murmured. "And I'll never stop caring about you, okay? I mean it when I say I'm only a phone call away. I never want to stop helping you, but you can't keep pushing me away like this, please!"

Kid nodded, refusing to meet her eyes.  
"I'm sorry," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry…I'm just so stupid!"

"Kid-" Maka began with a hurt expression, holding out a hand to comfort him before he brushed past her out of the forest's edge.  
"Hey, where are you going?" she called out as he walked over to the wall behind them before hopping over it, only responding to her with a slight shrug and a shake of his head.

She then stood alone in the section between the bare trees and the wall, watching Kid disappear down the field leading up the school as the wind picked up and swirled his black coat and dark hair in the breeze, appearing like a large black shadow against the pale snow.  
" _I'll never forget you, Kid…"_

(Soul)

A fresh layer of snow thinly covered the cement sidewalks and scalloped rooftops of Shibusen, looking as if the school itself had been dusted in powdered sugar. Pale gray clouds stretched out over the horizon, making the Monday afternoon appear even more dreary.

"Where is everybody?" Soul muttered into the empty classroom bar Crona who sat in his usual spot at the far back corner of the classroom, looking down at his untouched lunch with a disinterested gaze.

Crona shrugged as he picked at the edge of his bologna sandwich. "Stein said he had to run down and pick something up from the teacher's lounge, but he's been gone for a while now…"

"And Kid?" Soul asked even though he really didn't care whether Kid showed up to spend free period with him or not. The past few weeks they've learned to not bicker at each other through the whole period but rather sit in silence with a few occasional glances of disgust.

"Haven't seen him around," Crona sighed.

Soul shrugged and plopped into his usual desk, tearing into the paper bag he filled with various snacks he snatched from the cafeteria.  
"What's going on with you?" he asked after biting into an apple, it's vibrant red nearly matching the crimson of his eyes. "You seem kind of out of it…"

"Just not hungry, I guess," Crona shrugged. "You heard how the supervisor of the girl's dorm got fired?"

"Yeah, Maka told me about it a while back," Soul said in between chews of his apple with a nod. "Wonder who they hired to replace her…"

Before Crona could speak, an uproar came from outside the hall, the sounds of student's shoes squeaking against the floor and hushed whispers wafting into the room. Soul raised an eyebrow to Crona, only to get a shrug in reply.

" _What the hell is happening?"_ Soul wondered to himself as he slid up from his chair and peered out the glass window of the classroom door with Crona following close behind.  
A thin stream of students lined up at the other side of the hall, their noses pressed against the glass of the hallway window as if they were desperately trying to see something outside. They all glanced at each other and exchanged quick, hushed whispers before turning back to look out.

"What's everyone looking at?" Soul asked after exiting the classroom and jogging up to Hiro whom he found straggling behind the crowd of students with a few freshmen girls giggling about behind him, admiring his blonde locks of hair and blue eyes.

Hiro shrugged, his under-eyes darkened probably due to the fact he was hung over or stayed up all night watching pornography instead of getting any sleep.  
"Dude, it's the Headmaster's son…"

"You mean Kid?" Soul asked, furrowing his brow in confusion before craning his neck to glance out the window but only seeing the empty patch of cobblestone of the school's courtyard below.

"Not down there," Hiro chuckled, shaking his head, "He's up on the top floor balcony…"

"So why's everyone crowding around the window about it?" Soul half-laughed in confusion.

"He says he's gonna jump," Hiro mumbled, the grin plastered on his face suddenly fading to a lopsided frowns. "At least that's the news that's been spreading around…"

"Jump?" Crona asked, stepping out from behind Soul as his eyes widened in fear. "Like, suicide?"

"I mean, why else would you jump off the third story balcony?" Hiro said with a shrug.  
"A few of the staff tried to get him down, but he's apparently not budging…Just standing up on the ledge or whatever..."  
Soul took a deep breath and ruffled his hair in thought. Yeah, he sure didn't like the guy, but just the thought of something so tragic made the hairs on his arms stand up.

" _Alright everyone, clear the halls! There's nothing to see here that's part of your business!"_ a voice suddenly called. They all looked up to see the Dean making her way down the halls, her angled black bob swishing with each step she took as her cold, deep blue eyes peered out from over her glasses.

"Azusa always ruins the fun," Hiro chuckled, shaking his head. "Some should tell her to quit focusing so much on uniform policy and instead check out all the kids smoking weed in the old janitor's closet behind the basement stairs. But then again, I am one of those kids…"

"I should get Stein," Soul said, turning to face Crona. "He's pretty good at talking about shit, and I mean, they're both nuts as it is…"  
Crona nodded to him in response before Soul took off, darting down the hall to the teacher's lounge that was placed in a small nook between long hallways of classrooms.  
He bursted through the steel double doors of the room, a bead of sweat running down the forehead from the jog along with the brief thought of how much he needed to start doing some sit-ups. "Professor, I-" Soul began before he froze with wide eyes.  
Inside the teacher's lounge stood Professor Stein with his arms wrapped around a woman with light blonde locks, except the woman's hair was not the honey-colored curls of Stein's usual girlfriend, Marie.

"What the hell are you doing in here?!" Stein yelled furiously as he released the woman from his embrace, "Trespassing in here without permission is grounds for immediate detention!"

Soul shook his head as he locked eyes with the woman, her snake-like pupils sending a shiver down his spine. "Professor, it's Kid," he stammered out, his eyes switching between Stein's angry face and the sly look on the woman's face. "He's out on the third story balcony saying he's going to jump."

Stein's anger faded. "What?" he muttured.

"A few staff members already tried talking him down, but he isn't moving," Soul said, "I was hoping maybe you could go talk some sense into him…"

Stein firmly nodded. "I'm sure the school already contacted in the police, but the real question is whether or not they'll be here in time…" he wondered aloud to himself.  
"Medusa," he said, turning to the lady behind him, "Round up a handful students and grab one of the over-sized parachutes from the gym storage and stretch it underneath the balcony."

"Will that really catch him?" Soul asked Stein after Medusa straightened up and left the room, giving Soul a tight smile before exiting.

"Better than nothing," Stein responded, sliding a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.  
"You should head out with Medusa or get back to class, the less students wandering around during this the better."

Soul nodded and shoved his hands into his pocket, walking out of the room with Stein a few paces behind him.  
"Who is she?" he muttered to Stein, unsure if he was still in hot water after barging in on the Professor cheating on his girlfriend.

Stein closed the doors shut behind them, smoke vapors from his cigarette swirling around the free hand that held it.  
"The new supervisor for the girl's dorm," he said, not bothering to look Soul in the eyes, "I hope what you saw in that room will stay in that room."

Soul nodded even though he knew he wouldn't be able to keep the secret, even if it kept him out of detention.  
"Of course, sir."

(Maka)

Maka pushed through the heavy glass doors of the third floor library, stepping into the hallway and peering down to a crowd of people situated in front of the large balcony door that overlooked Death City. It was the same balcony she and Kid stood on together months ago, telling each other things they never thought they'd tell anyone. _That was a good day._  
She furrowed her brows in confusion and walked over, the worried and discontent faces of the nearby staff members throwing her completely off guard.  
"What's going on?" she asked Professor Stein, who stood with a lit cigarette in hand.

Stein's eyes traveled from the staff members to the balcony door as he took a long puff of his cigarette. "Maybe it's best if you head to next period a little early, Maka," he said bluntly with his eyes still trained on the door.

"The kids are out there with Medusa and the parachute stretched out," one of the other teachers called out, looking out the window with his hands pressed to the glass, "Hopefully it won't tear open from impact if he jumps…"

"If who jumps?" Maka asked desperately, looking up at Stein with eyes pleading for the answer. "Stein, please…"

"Maka, look-" Stein began holding out his hand to comfort her as Crona walked up behind him, his arms wrapped protectively around his arms.

"It's Kid," Crona said, wearing a wistful expression as he shuffled uncomfortably. "Kid says he's gonna jump off the balcony."

Maka stood motionless, her eyes wide from shock as she broke out in a cold sweat. "Wh-what?" she stammered, wanting to believe she misheard.

"Out of all the times you decide to not speak!" Stein scoffed to Crona as he took another puff of his cigarette, shaking his head in frustration.  
He sighed. "Maka, I think you should go-"

"No!" Maka demanded, stomping her foot down and narrowing her eyes. "Are you insane? I can't just leave when one of my friends is out there on the the brink of suicide!"

"We're doing everything we can, Maka," Stein began, "We can't bring anything into the situation that might disturb him!"

"Disturb him?" Maka said, causing a few of the staff members to turn their heads to her, "I'm one of the only people who he trusts to talk to! I know him, Stein!"

"Maka, I've already tried to reason with him; we just need to wait until the police-" Stein began, his patience wearing incredibly thin.

"Stein, please, just let me go out there!" Maka shouted, "No one knows him like I do-"

"Well, if you knew him so well then why didn't you know he was considering suicide!" Stein yelled as the rest of the staff members looked over at him with horrified faces.

Maka hung her head and looked down at her feet, the impact of Stein's word causing her eyes to well up in tears.

"Maka, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to say that..." Stein murmured after a few moments, wishing he could take back what he had said, "This whole situation has us all on edge…"

"No, you're right. I should've known, and I did know," Maka muttered, an angry tear running down her cheek. "The night Death fired Marie...Kid had a meltdown in the hallway saying he wanted to hurt himself and Marie yelled at Death to do something about it…That's why he fired her, because he didn't want to see anything wrong with his son...but there was something wrong, and I knew that and I didn't do anything about it, Stein. _I didn't do anything!"  
_ She turned her head up again to face Stein, her eyes filled with persistence as she gritted her fists.  
" _Please, let me go talk to him, I can't stand by and not do anything again."_

"Just let her out, Stein," Coach Sid sighed suddenly, leaning next to the balcony door with his arms crossed. "If she believes she can do him good, we might as well give it a chance."

Stein nodded firmly and met Maka's eyes. "Try to distract him out of it, at least until the police and all show up. Don't say or bring up anything that'll throw him off edge, _literally._ " He took another long drag of his cigarette before motioning towards the door with a nudge of his chin. "Well, go on then, Maka."

"Thank you, Professor," Maka said with a curt nod before turning on her heel and walking over to the balcony door.  
"Stay calm," Coach Sid whispered to her before she gripped the doorknob and swung open the door, causing a cold breeze of winter air to blast into the hallway.

She stepped out onto the stone pavement of the balcony that was slick due to the partially melted slush that covered it. A few paces in front of her was Kid, standing on the railing of the balcony that consisted of a thin, gray brick wall. He stood with his back to her, looking out to Death City that sat under an overcast sky.

"Kid?" Maka whispered, causing him to slowly turn around to face her.  
His hair was neatly combed in a familiar style, and he wore his freshly pressed uniform along with a brooch resembling the school's crest pinned onto the front breast of his blazer. Despite this being his usual appearance, something about him was off.

"Not surprised you're out here, Maka," he slurred, stumbling a bit on the icy surface of the railing top which caused Maka's heart to nearly drop.

"You're drunk, Kid," Maka muttered to him, the smell of liquor becoming stronger with each gust of wind that carried Kid's scent over to her.

"I know, I know" Kid half-laughed. "And, you know what sucks about that?"

"What?" Maka asked, shivering in the cool wind that sent currents of cold air swirling through her school uniform.

"I love it," he chuckled, stumbling a few paces more and almost completely losing his balance. "I told you once that I hated it all...the drinking, the smoking, and all that bullshit, but I honestly don't know how I would've made it this far without it. And you wanna know why that is?"  
Maka shrugged, snowflakes collecting along stray strands of hair that stuck-out from her short pigtails.  
"Because it helps me forget," Kid smirked, "it helps me forget how much of a shitty person I am, and how shitty the world is, and how shitty life is just in general…"

"But it also brought you out here," Maka said, "It brought you out here on the edge of the school's balcony threatening to jump off and kill yourself!"

Kid peered down, his eyes scanning the colorful parachute beneath him in the courtyard that was stretched out by a handful of students and staff members, it's faded rainbow color scheme standing out against the gray cobblestone and light fog. In the distance, police sirens sounded as the faint red-violet glow of the sirens washed over Kid's pale face.  
"Quite a set-up down there…" he muttered to himself.

"Kid, don't do this," Maka pleaded desperately. "Think about your friends and your family...Think about Liz. Think about your father. Think about _me_."

Kid laughed bitterly not taking his eyes off the parachute below him.  
"I've disappointed you all so much," he said, "All my father ever wanted was a normal son but instead he got us two fucked-up brats. I know I'm gonna end up just like my brother, Maka. I can't control my bursts of anger and I can't control the fact that I'm just so... _controlling_. I'm repulsive."

"You can get better, Kid," Maka yelled, gritting her fists, "I know what it feels like to hate yourself, to look at yourself in the mirror and wish you'd just vanish into thin air because you disgust yourself. But you can't just run away from it all. There's a future, Kid, where you can be better and everything will be okay, you just have to stay strong until you're there."

"But it's so hard to be strong, Maka," Kid murmured, looking back up at her, "I feel like if I have to spend one more day being me, I'm going to lose it for real."

Sounds of shouts from down below sounded as Kid glanced back down to the courtyard where groups of paramedics and police officers stood around a large white, tarp-like trampoline in place of the students and their rainbow-colored parachute.

"Kid…" Maka murmured, stepping over closer to him and catching sight of the trampoline set up beneath him.  
" _At least if he falls, he won't hit the concrete,"_ she thought to herself with a sudden wave of relief, " _He's gonna be okay."_

Kid laughed wildly at the scene beneath him. "What a huge ordeal to save the dying boy. Isn't it funny how they all rush to save me now...That I had to threaten death in order for anyone to actually pay attention? I'm not even remotely shocked that my father isn't here..."

Maka bit her lip. They'd tried to help him, at least she truly did. Or did she not do enough? Was he out her on the balcony because she rejected him in the woods that past weekend?

Kid's overstretched grin faded into a soft smile as he met Maka's eyes.  
"I'm sorry, Maka," he slurred.

Maka outstretched one of her hand towards him. "Just take my hand, Kid," she whispered to him, "There's no point in jumping now, they set up the trampoline to catch you if you fall. Just come with me, okay? Let me help you."

With unmoving eyes and the same slight smiled pressed onto his face, Kid pulled a pistol out of the waistband of his pants, the same pistol he shot off at the Halloween party months before.

"Kid, don't-" Maka shouted as he cocked the gun before beginning to raise the barrel to his head.

" _Don't forget about me."_

* * *

 _ **(The Gallows Mansion, Death City; Seven Years Ago)**_

" _How could you? How could you do such a thing and just stand there like you've done nothing?"_

The yells got fainter and fainter with every stride Kid took, running as fast as he could down the pristine, white-tiled hallways of his home, away from the horror he had just witnessed in the kitchen.

" _Asura!"_ Sophie yelled from downstairs at Kid's older brother who wore a blood-spattered white t-shirt, " _Asura! Look at me in the eye!"_

Kid slammed the door to his parent's bedroom shut, muffling his mother's voice. He wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered before walking over to the master bathroom that was connected to the room.  
Even at nine years old, he was barely tall enough to reach the sink unless he stood up on his tiptoes. He profusely scrubbed at his hands with hot water, the image of his older brother's fingernails crusted in dried blood nearly causing him to tremble.  
After drying his pruned hands on a nearby towel, he turned off the bathroom light and curled up on his parent's bed underneath the thick duvet cover. He buried his face into his father's pillow, the faint scent of his cologne filling his nose and offering him some comfort.  
At some point he had dozed off waiting for his mother to come find him in her bed, but instead he was woken up by the sound of unfamiliar laughter along with the bedroom door being clicked open.  
Kid peered out from under the covers to see his father enter the room accompanied by a lady dressed in all black. Her hair was done up in a black up-do, a striking difference from his mother's pale brown hair that was usually worn in a low bun.

"I apologize for how unconventional this is," he heard his father say to her as he moved over to a brown briefcase that leaned against the closet door, not noticing Kid hidden under the blankets in the darkness. "The documents are right in here...It must've slipped my mind to file them in the downstairs office…"

"No worries, Death," the lady said, hiding her mouth behind a black feathered fan. "You shouldn't have to worry about trying to act all professional to impress me…"

"Arachne," Death chuckled as he bent over to pick up the suitcase, "You're never afraid to say what's on your mind, now are you?"

"Oh, Death, I just don't understand how you claim to be happy living here, married to that random woman you stumbled upon in France," she whined, "You'd be so much better off with just me and you."

"I love my wife and our children very fondly, Arachne," Death said, staring at her with an unmoving eye after straightening back up.

"Don't play those games with me, Death," Arachne said, "I heard about Asura's little incident this morning. How can you call that _animal_ your son?"

"Asura…" his dad's voice warned.

"He killed his own pet hamster- with his bare hands!" she nearly shrieked out, "If that was my son, I would've disciplined him to no end. Sophie just stands by and tries to solve it all with hugs and kisses!"

"Enough!" Death said firmly in a voice that gave Kid goosebumps. "My personal family affairs are none of your business so I suggest you stop bribing my housekeepers for information as I assume that's how you heard about this morning."

Arachne sighed and fanned herself, shaking her head and clicking her tongue.  
"One day you'll regret all this, Death. This family is going to be the end of you. You'll wish you would've left Sophie for him.

His father shook his head and chuckled.  
" _Until death do us part,"_ Death teased, causing the woman to scoff and stomp out of the room followed by his father.

Kid never forgot the face of that lady he saw that day, even though her features were obscured by the darkness of the bedroom.  
He recognized her dark hair and feathered fan as she stood next to his father a few months after that incident, patting his back and whispering something into his ear as he weeped in front of his wife's coffin, her cause of death concluded to be suicide as there were no other leads as to how she overdosed on prescribed medications.  
He'd never forget the sly smile spread wide across Arachne's lips despite her being at a funeral, and his father's tear-stained cheeks and cries, and of his older brother's expressionless gaze at his mother's coffin without a care in the world evident on his face.  
And, maybe most of all, Kid never forgot how pathetic he felt when Arachne glared at him with a pure look of disgust in her purple-hued eyes.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: Do you guys miss my longer chapters? I kind of do :p  
As always, thanks for reading and remember to R&R c:

P.S. If any of you guys ever want to chat with me, hmu on tumblr supersarcasticeggplant (I'm just bored 90% of the time and wouldn't mind chatting with someone, but sorry in advance that I'm kind of lame lmao :P)


	18. Chapter 18: Frog Guts and Wheelbarrows

A/N: Chilling in the school library, got a lot of chemistry to study for but I think I'll write some more fanfic instead :p

Chapter 18:

(Soul)

Soul's breath rose like vapors of smoke before dissipating in the frozen air, his red eyes trained on the third story balcony where Kid stood mere inches away from the edge. However, Kid no longer stood up there alone as Soul had caught sight of Maka Albarn's unmistakable blonde pigtails swirling in the wind.  
" _Probably sent her out to coax him out of jumping,"_ Soul thought to himself, but it didn't matter anymore whether he jumped or not as now a group of paramedics and officials stood among him and the few other students in the courtyard. A large, white trampoline-like tarp replaced the rainbow parachute he and his classmates held taught a few moments ago, meaning if Kid fell, the worst injury he'd get would be a few bones broken from the impact. _  
_" _So he's gonna be okay...right?"_

"Where is he?!" a voice shrieked from behind Soul, causing him to tear his eyes off of the balcony above him and peer over his shoulder.  
Behind him Liz was pushing her way through the crowd of students and paramedics, mascara residue and tears creating streaks of gray against her cheeks that appeared paler than ever. She paused next to Soul, clutching the lettermen jacket she wore close as her widened baby blue eyes fixated on Kid standing atop the balcony ledge.

" _Long time no see…"_ Soul muttered under his breath, realizing how long it's been since he last saw her after they had broken up. Halloween night had now felt like ages ago, the memories of himself from early on during Sophomore year feeling like a weight built up inside his chest…

"Holy shit," Liz sobbed, shaking her head in disbelief, "He's really going to do it, _he's really going to do it…_ "

Soul scoffed and looked away from her, focusing on Maka's blonde pigtails that he could just barely make out from the distance between them. "I love it how you pretend like you really care about him, Liz."

"Excuse me?" she choked out, narrowing her eyes at Soul and gritting her fists. "Like you know anything about what goes on between me and Kid, you've got your head way too far up your own ass to see anything!"

"Oh c'mon, everyone already knows you're just in it for his money," Soul hissed out, "That's why you fell for me last October, because you knew I had cash but dumped me and crawled back to Kid once you found out I wasn't about that lifestyle."

"That's a blatant lie!" Liz shouted, shoving Soul sideways as angry tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "It isn't about the money, okay?! I don't give a shit whether or not his father makes five dollars a week or five thousand!"

A police officer stepped forward and motioned with his hands for the two of them to calm down. "Alright, let's keep it down," he began, "We don't need any more issues-"

"I've been there for him!" Liz shouted over the police officer's warning, brushing past him and talking another few steps over to Soul, leaning into his face and putting her hands on her hips, "And he's been there for me ever since his brother fucked up! Don't you dare assume anything about our relationship because you clearly don't know shit!"

"Yeah, well by the looks of it you've been doing just great looking after him!" Soul argued back, pointing up to the balcony. "You're the one that got him mixed up with all the drinking and crap, and I honestly don't see how you think you're of any help-"

"Enough!" a voice yelled out as Headmaster Death came between them, placing a firm hand on each of their shoulders. "Please, enough with the arguing back and forth, I don't think this day deserves any more tension."

"Yes, sir," Soul whispered after a few moments of silence, holding his gaze locked onto Liz's eyes for a few brief seconds before looking back up to the balcony with a pang of sympathy for Death.

"He's gonna be okay," Liz reassured him even though Soul noticed the slight quiver in her voice, "The trampoline'll catch him, he won't be able to hit the ground from there."

Death nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off his son and the balcony. "I know- t's the emotional damage I'm most worried about," he said back gruffly, "I can't believe it has really come to this."

"He'll get better," Soul sighed, tensing up as a strong wind whipped through the courtyard, causing the rainbow parachute to nearly fly off it wasn't for one of the student's grabbing the end of it while it whipped in the breeze. Death and Soul locked eyes.  
"You'll be there for him?" Death asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Soul swallowed hard and nodded. "I'll be there for him."  
Death nodded firmly and patted Soul's shoulder. "Thank you-"

"He's got a gun!" someone suddenly hollered, causing a wave of panic to spread over the crowd as the horde of people began to swarm around them, students running away in fear as officers began to bark out orders to each other.  
Soul looked up in horror at the pistol in Kid's hand, recognizing it even from down below and feeling the same sense of panic he had felt Halloween night when Kid aimed that very same gun at him.

"Where did he get that?" Death whispered fiercely as Soul shot Liz a side-eye, watching her face sink as if she was crumbling from the inside out.  
"No…" she cried, covering her face with her hands and sobbing. She shook her head, causing the messy, blonde bun atop her head to wobble about. " _No, no, no!"_

Death pushed between the two of them and jogged up to a nearby police officer who stood with a megaphone in hand, blaring out commands to the younger officials.

Soul stood fear-stricken, the world appearing to move in slow-motion as Kid raised the gun to his forehead and tilted his head back while Headmaster Death snatched the megaphone from the officer, raising it to his mouth before speaking.  
" _Put it down!"_

(Maka)

" _Kid, I said put it down! Now!"_

Kid froze at the sound of his father's voice, but his astonishment faded almost as suddenly as his lips curled into a sly smile. He lowered the gun a few inches, keeping it within shooting range of himself as he peered over his shoulder.  
Maka, with her hand still outstretched towards him, took a shaky breath and stared down into the courtyard with a silent prayer on her lips, begging for a chance at saving Kid.  
" _If only he'd put that gun down,"_ she thought to herself, retracting her hand and curling it into a fist that she pressed against her chest.

" _Please don't do this!"_ Headmaster Death pleaded from down below, his usually steady and firm voice sounded through but now it underlied with hints of panic and trepidation. The commotion down below seemed to freeze as everyone looked frantically from Death and up to Kid, eyes wide and expectant for the worst.

"Stay out of this, Father!" he shouted to his dad down below, "You don't know anymore about me than you'd wish to know about my brother!"

"Mhm, your brother..." his father's voice hummed through the speaker, "So this about family, is it?"

"I said stay out of this!" Kid hollered, stamping his foot on the brick top of the railing and clutching the gun a bit tighter, causing Maka's heart to skip a beat.

"You know, Kid, it hasn't been easy for me either," Death said, his voice being the only audible sound as Maka held her breath in anticipation. "Ever since your mother passed away…"

Kid spun around, no longer facing Maka but looking out into the courtyard at his father. "Don't bring her up!" he screamed, lowering the gun away from his head and down to his waist, the barrel facing downward to the ground.

Maka swallowed hard.  
" _If he hits the trampoline down below, he won't be killed...but if he blows his brains out with a pistol…"  
_ Fighting back hesitation, Maka grabbed the gun with both hands and kicked Kid in the back with her left foot. The gun fired off and the sound of glass exploding rang out a few nanoseconds after as Kid fell forward off the edge, leaving Maka standing above along with the fallen pistol a few inches next to her on the icy stone of the balcony floor.

(Soul)

People moved throughout the school hallways, some laughing away in cliques of friends while others hurriedly dodged through the crowds of people with books clutched close to their chest.  
" _Always walk with your shoulder's back and head up, Soul."_  
That's what his mother used to always tell him, correcting the way he slouched his back and hung his head with fists shoved into the pockets of his pants. Looking up, however, can really change the way you see things, especially when you spend most of your time looking down at your shoes and letting life pass you by without a care in the world.

A scrawny freshman was shoved into a locker by a group of upperclassmen.  
A girl chocked on tears next to the water fountain over some school assignment as her ' _friends'_ snickered at her.  
Some douchebag knocked a stack of books out of some kid's hands."

" _Maybe the world can seem shitty sometimes,"_ Soul thought as he picked up a few of the fallen books and handed them back to the boy, " _But that isn't an excuse to completely shut it out because you can always find good in the bad if you look hard enough...right?_

Soul slipped into Professor Stein's empty classroom, not bothering to wonder where Stein was or when he'd be back because Soul knew the teacher's lounge down the hall held the obvious answer along with the woman who replaced not only Marie's position as supervisor of the girl's dorm, but also the position of Stein's 'one and only'.  
Soul plopped into his usual desk, ready to spend free period alone as he had been for the past three days ever since Kid decided to climb out onto the railing of the third story balcony. He shuddered at the fresh memory.  
The crack that sounded as Kid hit the trampoline, breaking a bone in the arm he landed on as he let out a squeal of pain.  
The look of desperation on Headmaster Death's face as he tried to get close to his son to only be blocked off by the wave of paramedics that surrounded Kid.  
The blurry image of Maka's face from far up above, her mouth slightly parted in fear as her blonde pigtails whipped through the cold wind underneath the overcast sky.

The sound of the classroom door swinging open and smacking against the wall behind it broke the silence of the deserted classroom bar Soul and the few frogs in glass containers atop Stein's desk as one could only imagine what the professor had in store for them and his next period biology class.

"Hey, Crona," Soul muttered as the sound of the door slamming shut behind his fellow classmate shattered his train of thought and dragged him back into the reality of the dimly-lit classroom and muffled shouts and laughter from the hallways.

Crona clutched his old tattered notebook to his chest as he slid into the desk next to Soul which was unusual considering he typically picked the wobbly, creaky desk in the back corner of the classroom to sit and eat his lunch. Now that Soul thought about it, he's lately only seen Crona sit and stare at his lunch rather than actually eating it.

"You think I could talk to you, please?" Crona asked with a hint of desperation and anxiety in his tone as he ran a hand through his shaggy, lilac-colored hair. "If it's okay with you, I mean. You don't have to listen to me if you don't want to, I just need to let out my problems before they literally eat me alive."

"Woah, just calm down for a sec," Soul said, turning sideways in his chair to face Crona as he knitted his eyebrows together in concern. "Is this about Kid?"

"N-no," Crona said, shaking his head as he wrapped his arms tighter around himself, pressing the notebook closer to his chest. "It's about my mother."

"Your mother?" Soul questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Crona nodded and took a shaky breath.  
"Medusa is my mom, Soul…"

Soul sat stunned for a second as Crona moved his gaze from the wooden surface of the desk he sat at to Soul's crimson eyes that were widened from shock.  
"You mean Stein's…'mistress'?" Soul asked, searching Crona's face for any similarity between him and the girl's dorm supervisor/Stein's plaything and deciding that either Crona really looked like his father or that Medusa has had _a lot_ of plastic surgery done. I mean, there's no way her snake pupils were just genetics, right?

"She's driving me crazy, Soul, I don't know how much longer I can stand it," Crona began, holding himself tighter as he suddenly felt cold all over, "I've been meaning to go visit Ms. Marie and talk to her about it, but I just can't look at her straight in the eye when I know what my mom is doing with her boyfriend…"

"Talk to me about it- I'll listen, honestly," Soul said with a firm nod. "I've been told in the past I'm good with secrets, I promise not to be a dick about it, whatever it is," he shrugged.

Crona nodded slowly and let his eyes hold Soul's gaze for a few moments before staring back down at his desk.  
"I-I'm gay," he stuttered, "And she hates it so, so much Soul. Even before she found out, I knew she didn't really care for me so much, but at least then she tried to see some good in me. Now she can't even look at me without being completely disgusted."

Soul chewed the inside of his mouth, wanting to ask a bit on the situation to get some background, but he decided not to push it too far.  
"How'd she find out?"

Crona laid his precious notebook on the desk he sat at. "She found my poetry book...Marie told me it was a good idea to write out my feelings inside of it, but I guess spilling all my secrets into here backfired in the end. I can't even write in it anymore without seeing my mom's face all angry and pissed off. I just feel terrible."

"Crona, you know me and my friends are always here for you," Soul said, squeezing Crona's arm as a sign of reassurance, "You can always crash in my dorm room if you don't want to go home, I'm sure Black-Star won't mind."

"You don't understand," Crona said, shaking his head as he pulled his arm away. "There's so much more than that, Soul. They want the school."

"They want the school?" Soul repeated in confusion, "Who's 'they'...?"

"My mom and her sister, Arachne," Crona said. "They're trying to take the school to get Death's money. They've been at it for years, and now they're going at it harder since Death is in a weak spot now. I think he's finally cracking."

"Woah, slow down," Soul said, "How do they expect to take the school? They can't just take it, can they?"

Crona slid over closer to Soul and met his gaze, his eyes hardened and serious. "Remember how Kid's mother passed away a few years ago, right? They said it was suicide."

Soul felt a sinking sensation in his gut. "Yeah...yeah, I remember someone mentioning something about it. Why?"

Crona swallowed hard. "I don't think she killed herself, Soul. I think it was my aunt...I think Arachne killed her because Kid's mom was an obstacle in her plan…"  
He sighed. "Do you understand how serious they are about this?"

Soul nodded slowly.

"Arachne's been pursuing Headmaster Death for a long time because if he marries her, and then he passes away…" Crona began.

"Wait- are you saying that your aunt is planning to, like, marry Death and murder him so she could take his money and the school?" Soul said in disbelief.

"I am," Crona said, glancing away from Soul and off into the distance as his serious expression softened into a look of despair. "And my mom's only dating Stein because she knows how close Stein is to the Death family. She's manipulating them all."

"What does your mother expect to get out of all of this?" Soul asked.

"A boost in her reputation, and a good amount of money, too, of course," Crona mumbled with a melancholy chuckle. "They hired her as guidance for the girl's dorm because she has a degree in psychology, but what they don't know is she's working on a side study with a group of adults she graduated with in college, and they're all fame-hungry assholes."

"What are they working on?" Soul asked, even though he knew the answer would probably make him sick.

"Conversion therapy and other stuff like that," Crona muttered, shaking his head. "They want to start their own therapy centers for parents who have kids that aren't 'normal' or whatever the hell they want to say about it. My mom thought being the sister of the woman who owns a prodigious high school will get her some contacts with well-known parents who have a lot of cash to go around."

"Does your mom...do stuff to you?" Soul asked, "Like, conversion work 'n stuff?"

Crona nodded slowly and looked down at his shoes. "Yeah, all the time. That's one of the main reasons I never wanted her to find out. She used to just lock me away in my room so she could work, but now she that she knows it's like I'm the main piece in her study."

"I'm so sorry, Crona," Soul choked out.

Crona sighed. "We can't let Arachne and her get to Death. I know Stein is kind of a lost cause with my mom, but we can still get Death away from Arachne."  
"She's trying to get into Death's head about Kid and how they both need help. She's trying to weave Medusa and her into his life by promising Death that Medusa would be a good psychologist for Kid."

"Would Death really ever fall for Arachne romantically, though?" Soul questioned.

"Apparently they've been seeing each other for a while, just as comrades because Arachne has done business with him before. But, I think he's starting to just go along with her advances. She's a crafty woman, Soul," Crona said.

Before Soul could speak, the classroom door opened again behind them as Professor Stein stepped into the classroom with his hair slightly ruffled and the collar of his lab coat popped up.  
"Oh," Stein mumbled as Crona slid back into his desk and held back onto his beloved notebook. "I didn't think you'd still be hanging around here for your free period."

Soul shrugged.  
"Kinda like the quiet," he said even though a part of him missed the endless banter between Black-Star and his band friends back up in the music room.

Stein threw a ring of keys on his desk and slid backwards into his rolling office chair as he usually did before eyeing his glass containers of frogs with a slight smirk.  
"Soul, you're good friends with Maka Albarn, correct?"

"O-oh, I wouldn't say 'good' friends, but I guess we're pretty close," Soul stammered. "Why?"

"She's been skipping my class for the past few days. I'm concerned for her class scores considering we'll be having a big unit test near the end of next week. Not to mention, she'll be missing the wonderful opportunity of slicing open one of these amphibians." Stein said, his tone bubbling up in excitement as his tongue rolled off the word 'amphibians'.

"She's been at the hospital the past three days with Kid," Crona mumbled with a shrug. "She's really wound up about the whole thing. Not that I blame her, of course."

"Didn't they say the worst injury he got was a broken arm?" Soul asked, "Why has he been there so long?"

"It's the emotional damage," Stein said as he tore his eyes away from his specimens and back to the two of them, "They're probably going to hold him for a while until they're sure he won't be of harm to himself."

"Poor guy," Soul mumbled wistfully to himself as he shook his head.

"Anyways, Mr. Evans," Stein said as he stood up and smoothed out his lab coat and finally unpopped his lab coat collar, "I need you to go check on Maka and drop off the assignments she's missed, I'm not going to let this ruin her chance of being first in class rank near the end of the year. "

Soul shrugged.  
"Sure, I guess…"

Stein reached behind his desk and pulled up two large plastic grocery bags overflowing with stacks upon stacks of packets and assignments before dropping the bags onto his desk with a loud _***bam!***_.

"You want me to lug all that crap to the hospital on the other side of town!?" Soul yelled while slamming a fist onto his desk as Crona snickered.

"Yup!" Stein said proudly with a firm nod. "There's an old wagon in the back of the auditorium we used for some demonstration a few years back, I think you might need it.

"Psh," Soul scoffed as he plopped back into his chair and folded his arms behind his head. "Fine, but you owe me one."

"Maybe I won't tell the Death that you sneak out the fire exit at night to smoke in the woods next to the boy's dorm?" Stein asked, raising a brow.

Soul rolled his eyes.  
"Deal."

(Maka)

The water cooler in the hospital waiting room bubbled, a faint sound that was barely audible over nurse's chatting on the phone with patients along with the sounds of keyboard clicks and the bulky old fax machine beeping and printing documents.  
Maka Albarn sat alone, curled up in one of the many blue cloth chairs situated in the far back of the room next to the said water cooler and a too-green fake, plastic plant. A yellowed novel sat open in her lap, but her internal thoughts overpowered her will to read as she found herself turning through pages without even remembering what she had just read. She sighed loudly before flipping the book shut, it's cover page entitled ' _Wintergirls'_ with an image of a girl's face surrounded by blue specks of blue that appeared to be resembling ice.

"Maka?" a voice said along with the sound of the waiting room door creaking open.

"Oh, Soul," Maka murmured to him as he entered the room, wheeling a beat-up wheelbarrow filled with papers into the room. The painted red of the metal stood out against the grey tiled floors and walls even though it's hue appeared faded from age. "What are you doing here?"

Soul dropped the handle of the wheelbarrow and plopped down into the seat next to her with a sigh. "Brought the work you've missed from class," he said, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead from the strain of pulling the wheelbarrow all through town. "Stein was worrying about your grades 'n stuff, you know. It isn't like you to miss class."

Maka shrugged and placed her novel on top of a stack of other books she had checked out of the hospital library. "It's just been hard to focus, you know?" she began, reaching for the handle of the wheelbarrow and pulling it over to her. "I can't believe what happened...I can't believe what _almost_ happened…"

"Yeah, everyone at school was a bit shaken up 'bout everything," Soul said to her.  
The memory of it all was still fresh in his head, and it seemed that random, everyday things would remind him of what had happened, causing the whole event to replay in his head.  
"It's insane. I guess you can't just know everything about everyone, huh?."

Maka shook her head and silently examined the papers that filled the wheelbarrow with her eyes scrunched together in thought. She sighed and tossed the packet she was holding back into the pile. "I knew, Soul," she said as she sunk back into her chair, "That's what sucks about it all so much. I wish I could've done more to help him, or at least have done enough where this didn't have to happen…"

"Maka, you saved him," Soul said as Maka buried her face in her hands. He gripped her wrist, "What matters is that Kid's alive, and he's going to get the real help he needs. You did all you could."

She nodded slowly, lifting her head back up to wipe away a stray tear that ran down her cheek. "I just want to be here for him now. He asked me to stay here with him, he doesn't want to be all alone anymore..."

"You've talked to Kid?" Soul asked, letting go of her wrist and folding his hands in his lap.

"Yeah," she sniffled. "There's a bunch of other kids back there with him who've attempted suicide or some sort of self-harm. The nurse told me he's having trouble bonding with the other kids, that he really only wants to talk to me."

"It's like...group therapy, right?" Soul said.

Maka nodded. "Mhm, they want him to try it out for a while while he also has individual sessions with a private psychologist."

"How's he holding up?" Soul mumbled.

Maka shrugged. "It's like he's...shocked that he's actually alive…"  
She stifled another sob. "He told me yesterday that I should never have saved him, Soul…"

"Hey, Maka," Soul whispered to her as he wrapped his arm around her. "Why don't we get out of here for a little bit? Sitting in this place is gonna eventually drive you nuts…"

" _Please, take her out!_ " one of the nurses behind the counter called out as she scribbled something down onto a piece of paper with a bored expression. A heavy layer of blush covered her plump cheeks that were framed by her short-cropped black hair. She pushed her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose as she looked at the both of them. "She's been cooped up in here alone since they admitted that one boy...some fresh air should do her some good!"

"That one coffee place you like is around here, we could stop there if you want. It's on me this time," Soul offered.

"Sure, but you don't have to pay, honestly," she giggled after wiping her eyes on her sweater sleeve and sliding off of her chair. "C'mon, but you're pushing that wheelbarrow over there."

Soul scoffed and grabbed the handle of the wheelbarrow as Maka threw on her jacket. "You're lucky I'm a fucking gentlemen," he grumbled.

Maka laughed and rolled her eyes as she added her stack of novels to the weight of the wheelbarrow.  
" _So fucking lucky."_

(Soul)

"Does he do that every time he's here?" Soul asked as he raised an eyebrow, nudging his chin towards the owner, Joe, who was doing a funky dance at the front of the coffeeshop, opposite to where they were seated.

Maka nodded. "Yeah, it's his special coffee bean dance or something...I don't know. He's really into it," she said as she waved at Joe who stopped for a split second to wave back before returning to his dance that sort of resembled a bird during mating season.

"Well, it's better than watching Oxford break his back trying to be remotely good at Dance Dance Revolution," Soul joked as he shook his head as Maka giggled in response.  
"Speaking of Ox, you gonna head back to class tomorrow?" Soul asked. "Stein said you guys have some big test or something coming up next week."

Maka nodded slowly as she stared down into her empty coffee cup.  
"Yeah, I guess I have no choice. Visiting hours at the hospital are mainly when I'm supposed to be in class, but maybe I could work something out with the nurses…"

"It's going to be okay, you know that, right, Maka?" Soul asked. "I can't stand seeing you so mopey...you're supposed to be the one who's always pissing off about school and smacking me over the head with a textbook."

Maka laughed. "I guess I've been off track for the past few days, just needed some time to unwind…" She zipped up her coat and slid off the booth before giving herself a firm nod. "It's time for me to get back on top of everything, huh?"

Soul smiled as he dropped a bill on the table as a tip for the waitress. "Seems like it," he said, "Wanna take a walk before we head back to Shibusen? We've got another hour of daylight if you're up to it…"

"Fine, but only for a bit," Maka said before she began jogging off to the front entrance, "I've got to start catching up for classes before Ox gets too ahead!"

"Hey, wait!" Soul shouted as he stood up.  
"You better not think I'm going to be the one who's dragging this hunk of metal around with us!" he called out, motioning towards the wheelbarrow as Maka slipped out the door.  
" _Maka!"_

(Maka)

"You really need to start doing sit-ups, or something," Maka laughed as Soul huffed from hauling the wheelbarrow down the sidewalk.

Soul plopped down into nearby bench and pulled out a cigarette. "Trust me, I know I do," he said as he held the cigarette between his teeth while he searched for a lighter in his coat pocket.

"You really need to break that habit, you know," Maka said as she shot Soul the stink eye while he lit his cigarette, cupping his hand around his mouth so the wind wouldn't blow out the flame from the lighter.

Soul took a puff and smirked.  
"What's it to you? It's not like you're gonna be anywhere near my mouth.

"Ugh, like I'd ever want that," she whined, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "With or without the stench."

"I'm teasing," Soul chuckled as the sound of laughter from a nearby alleyway drifted over to where they were.

"Those kids go to Shibusen, right?" Maka whispered to Soul as trio of students wandered from the neabry alley, one carrying a paper bag that most likely held booze or some other thing he shouldn't be having.

"Hey, Eruka," the one guy said to the girl with bleached hair standing next to him, "That's the punk who stole Kid's girl, right?"

Eruka nodded as she crossed her eyes and exchanged a _look_ with another teenager girl that stood next to her, a rather short girl with a large bust and short light pink hair.  
"Yeah, that him," she muttered, "Unless there's another albino kid at Shibusen with spiked-up hair...Doubt that…"

Soul slid off the bench and stomped out his quarter-burnt cigarette as the trio marched over to them.

"Soul Evans?" the guy asked, cracking his knuckles after he handed over his paper bag to the pink-haired girl next to him who upon closer look was wearing a waitress uniform with the name tag ' _Mizune'_ engraved in the pin.

Soul nodded and gritted his fists. "Yeah, what's it you?" he asked with a certain bite to his voice that made Maka elbow him in the ribs.  
" _Don't try to act all cool and start shit, Soul!"_ Maka whispered fiercely to him, her gaze held steady on the faces of the group of upperclassmen.

"You know you're the son of a bitch that made our little friend try to kill himself, right?" the boy asked, pointing at Soul and jabbing his finger into his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Soul said. "I didn't get along with him, but I'm not the reason why he did that."

Eruka pointed at Maka.  
"You dating this guy?" she asked, nudging her chin towards Soul.

"N-no," Maka stammered out, shaking her head. "Definitely not. We're just friends, one hundred percent."

"Hmm," the guy hummed. "I'm pretty sure Kid told us something different…He seemed pretty jealous over it..."

"Wait, what did he tell you?" Maka asked before Soul gingerly pushed her back with his arm.

"Look, why don't we just drop this whole thing and go our own way, okay?" Soul said, interrupting Maka, "Maka and I are definitely not together."

"Free, let's just leave these Kid's alone," Mizune complained as she rolled her eyes, "Boss said if I'm late for my shift one more time…."

"Aight, aight," the guy, Free, said, waving Mizune off. "Enough about your dumb boss. Let's ditch this punk and his bitch."

"Hey!" Soul shouted, gritting his teeth as Free and his groupies began to turn away. "Don't you dare call her my bitch!"

Free laughed and stepped back closer to Soul, bringing their faces mere inches apart.  
"Why's it bother you so much if she ain't your chick?" he asked, his breath smelling strongly of cheap vodka and tobacco. Maybe this is why Maka wanted him to break the habit, his breath _reeks_.

Soul's face melted into one of signature smirks.  
"Because Maka has some class unlike these two skanks you just dragged out of the alleyway. Where'd you pick them up at? Hooter's five-dollar special?"

 _ ***BAM!***_

Soul went flying backwards as his nose collided with Free's fist, sending him tumbling into Maka's arms as a thin stream of blood trickled out of his nose.

"Tell your boyfriend to watch his mouth before I really fuck him up, aight?" Free said to Maka, as she nodded with eyes full of fear.

Free chuckled before wrapping an arm around both girls and stumbling off down the sidewalk.  
"Five-dollar special," he muttered, "I'd at least have the decency to pay full price for a couple of these…"

Maka dragged Soul up onto the bench and handed him a crumpled napkin from her coat pocket before tilting his head back and pressing it against his nose.  
"Hey, Soul?" she asked.

"Yeah, Maka?" he said, his voice sounding nasal from Maka pinching the bridge of his nose shut to clot the blood.

Maka sighed and shook her head.  
"You're a fucking idiot."

Soul laughed.  
"I know."

 _To be continued…_

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long, guys! D:  
Something recently happened in my life and it's been a bit hard to write about death and hospitals, but I'm back on track now :) I added in that lil Soul 'n Maka stuff ya'll been wanting, the rest of it is going to have to wait until next chapter sadly because I want to get this up for you guys before the week started.  
Anyways, thanks for reading and please remember to R&R!


	19. Chapter 19: Snakes and Diamond Rings

A/N: Send help, I'm hiding from this girl I'm crushing on and her friends in an empty cafeteria as I write fanfic. Why am I such a loser?  
P.S. ~ If anyone is wondering what Turnabout is, it's just a spring dance where a girl asks the guy to take her :p

Chapter 19:

(Maka)

A semi-warm wind drifted through the city streets, carrying the scent of mulch and damp cement from the melting slush. Big, red clearance signs hung in the store windows, advertising discounts on leftover Valentine's Day candy and the last of their winter clothing stock.  
Maka and Soul walked along beside the rows of restaurants and boutiques, heading back to the DWMA dorms after spending their Sunday evening lounging around town and enjoying the nice weather while it lasted.

"I wish the weather would stay like this," Maka sighed, the pleated ends of her black skater skirt shifting in the breeze as the two of them made their way down the busy sidewalk.

"At least it'll be nice for Turnabout on Friday," Soul muttered, stretching his arms above his head as they turned the corner to a street lined with family-run markets and restaurants. "You going?"

"As if," Maka said, rolling her eyes, "I've got a huge thesis paper due Monday and at least another billion things to study for…" She shook her head, "I need as much time as I can get considering Jackie will be hauling me around the next few days to watch her try on dresses...Why'd you ask?"

Soul shrugged as he eyed displays of muffins and fresh bread towered on one of the vendor carts that crowded the sides of the block. "No reason, I think I'm gonna ditch out on it, too, unless I wanna spend Friday night with TsuStar or my ex-girlfriend, which I don't."

Maka laughed, the sides of the jean-jacket she 'borrowed' from Soul slipping off her shoulders as a familiar face walked-out of a shop a few feet infront of them with an armful of brown paper bags teeming with groceries.  
"Marie!" Maka said cheerfully as she jogged over.

"Maka! And Soul, too!" Marie said as Maka came over with Soul following a few paces behind her. "What are you two doing out? Shouldn't you be getting ready for classes tomorrow morning?"

"Just taking a break while the weather's nice," Soul said with a shrug, squinting in the sunlight with his hands buried deep into his pockets as usual.

Marie's smile melted into a subtle frown as her eyes softened. "Have you seen Kid since the incident?" she whispered. "Azusa called me the day after and filled me in, I just wish I could've been there for you guys…."

Maka nodded, slowly rocking on the heels of her worn-down canvas sneakers that have become discolored from years of use. "He's doing a lot better now than he was doing in the hospital, I don't think group therapy was his kind of thing..." She shrugged, "You were right about him needing more help, I wish the headmaster had listened…"

"We can't change what's happened, but we can still work towards the best," Marie giggled, her smile returning as she cocked her head to the side.

A loud burst of laughter rose up from over the never-ending banter between roaming customers and vendors shouting out why their tomatoes tasted ten times better than the cart next to theirs.  
"Headmaster Death and Stein," Soul said, nudging his chin towards the source of the laughter as the trio looked across the street to a café situated on the other side of the street.

"And Medusa and Arachne…" Maka added, furrowing her brows in frustration over what Soul had recently told her about how the Gorgon sisters were planning to take over the school.

"That's funny, I swore Stein told me he was taking the car out to get it washed," Marie muttered to herself, lost in her own thought she eyed the group seated outside the café under a large forest-green table umbrella, "I wonder what Death has to do with the Gorgon sisters, especially with Stein involved...They haven't been doing business in forever…"

Maka and Soul exchanged panicked glances.  
" _Marie doesn't know that Medusa took her job?"_ Maka whispered quickly to Soul.

Soul shrugged. " _I guess not,"_ he whispered back, glancing between Marie and the group situated at the cafe, " _Hey, I think we should get Marie out of her before-_ "  
At that moment, Marie's arms went limp at her sides as her bags of groceries plopped onto the ground, sending a few fresh apples rolling against the pavement, their bright red standing out against the dull gray of the sidewalk cement. Across the street, Stein had planted a firm kiss on Medusa's cheek and threw his arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

"M-Marie…" Maka stuttered, her eyes full of concern as she stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Marie?"

Marie shook her head and slowly bent down to pick up her brown bags before straightening herself up again, not taking her eyes off of Stein's arm wrapped around Medusa for one second. "It's alright," she murmured, clutching her bags close as the group laughed again, unaware of Marie seeing them at all. "I guess I was kind of an idiot for not seeing this coming…"  
She shrugged it off and offered Maka a weak smile. "I'll see you two later, alright? Just keep your mind on your studies and don't worry too much about this, alright?"

Soul and Maka nodded slowly.  
" _Alright."_

(Soul)

"Would you quit calling me that?" Soul sad as he sat propped up against the stereo, flipping through CDs and muttering how Black-Star had a shit taste in music.

"Call you what, ' _Soul Eater'_?" Black-Star laughed, sitting in his usual spot at his desk as he typed away on his computer.

"Yeah, _that,_ " Soul said, examining a song list written in smudged Sharpie on one of his own CD's he had brought from home a while back as he shook his head. "The last thing I want to think about right now is Ox and all his online shit-posts…"

Black-Star chuckled. "He's been real quiet ever since what happened with Kid," he said, not taking his eyes of his computer screen, "I think he and Kid had something going against you."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure it's over now," Soul shrugged as he tossed an empty CD case across the room in frustration.

"Dude, would you just pick a CD and pop it in?" Black-Star called out, "You've been going through those like an animal for the past forty-five minutes, it's starting to stress me out."

Soul shook his head and took the CD to his own laptop lying on his bed where he popped it into the disc drive. "Hey, I have to deal with the never-ending sound of you typing at on that damn keyboard until dawn; I'm surprised I haven't ripped my hair out yet…"

"Hey, I'm working on something," Black-Star said, rolling his eyes. "I've got to try and get some stuff done before I head out tonight."

"Going out with Tsubaki?" Soul asked, fiddling with his laptop as it didn't work too sharp ever since Soul dropped it down the stairs a few times and spilled half a carton of milk all over it.

Black-Star shrugged. "Nah, I've got some other plans…" he said distantly, entranced at whatever the hell he was doing on his computer.

"Shocking," Soul joked as his computer made a whirring noise while it scanned the CD. "Anyway, I'm going through the CD's to make another mixtape for Maka to listen to over spring break."

"Spring break isn't until... " Black-Star began, chewing on his lip in concentration before his mouth dropped open in shock. " _Hey, spring break is only three weeks away!"_

Soul laughed as he worked on ripping the CD's audio to his laptop. "Hard to believe, huh? It feels like Halloween was just yesterday…"

"It really does…" Black-Star sighed, staring off at his dim computer screen. "You know, you've really been hanging out with Maka a lot ever since you broke it off with Jackie."

"We're just friends," Soul shrugged with a slight smile. "I feel like it's my duty to make sure she doesn't go into adulthood never hearing the Red Hot Chili Peppers."

"Hipster bullshit," Black-Star laughed at this and clicked a new tab open on his computer. He suddenly raised an eyebrow.  
"Hey, come check this out…"

Soul angled the screen to his laptop downward and hopped of his bed.  
"What, is Ox back at it again writing crap online?" he huffed, "Because I swear if he stills wants to cause shit after everything that went down…"

"No, it isn't Ox…" Black-Star said, shaking his head and pointing to something on the computer screen. "Look, it was posted right after classes got out today…"

Soul looked over Black-Star's shoulders where Shibusen's Facebook page was pulled up. At the very top of the page, above a million updates about fundraisers and school events, was post a that began with the bolded words, "Congratulations to our very own Headmaster Death; Who says women can't propose?"

"Weird how he's getting engaged right after all that stuff happened with Kid..." Black-Star mumbled before Soul shoved him aside in order to get a better look at the screen. Within the post was a pixelated image of Headmaster Death standing outside what appeared to be his home, his arm wrapped around a woman dressed all in black with droopy, navy eyes… "Arachne…" Soul whispered to himself, scrunching up his face in thought as he nibbled the edge of his lip.

"Dude, what was that for?" Black-Star whined in the background after hitting the wall from Soul's push that sent his rolling office chair spinning off in all directions.

Soul shook his head and walked away from the computer.  
"I'll be back," he called out before slamming his room door shut and jogging off in pursuit to the girl's dorm.

(Maka)

The dorm room window was open a crack, letting in a slightly cool breeze that made the drapes hanging over the blinds sway and ruffle. The sound of the familiar hum from the small portable heater in the corner was replaced by the tweets and songs of birds that returned for the season to build their nests among the numerous clusters of trees that encircled the school. The girl's small portable radio was set up in it's usual spot as it played an old CD Jackie dug out from the back of her collection.

" _...'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah…"_

"How's this one look?" Jackie asked, hooking the back of a short black dress that barely covered her behind before wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead from forcing the tight fabric over her thighs.

"I don't know," Maka muttered, laying sprawled out on her bed with her face buried in a thick book. "They all seem the same to me."

"You're not even looking!" Jackie whined, pouting at her reflection in the mirror as she adjusted the dress.

Maka glanced up. "Jackie, this is the sixth black bodycon dress you've tried on," she huffed, rolling her eyes, "They all look great, honestly, just choose whichever you like best..."

"Yeah, yeah," Jackie mumbled.

Maka shrugged and rested her chin on her hand as she watched Jackie try to relentlessly stuff the other half of her bust inside the dress. Looking at Jackie now hit Maka with a semi-wave of nostalgia; she had changed so much from the chipper sophomore who loved studded belts and distressed band shirts. I mean, she still obsessed over her cuticles and over-priced nail polish, and she probably always will, but she just seemed like a different person.  
"You know," Maka interrupted, "I think I actually liked the other ones better...This one's maybe a little too revealing for Shibusen dances…?"

Jackie shook her head, giving up on trying to fit her entire bust into the top half of the dress. "You mean it's too tight," she responded, checking herself up and down in the mirror.

"Well, half your boobs are hanging out," Maka said with a tight smile, "Maybe the style just runs small?"

"It's already a size bigger than what my Homecoming dress was," Jackie sighed, unzipping the back of the dress and letting the silky fabric fall in ruffles and folds at her ankles. "I think I just got fat over winter break."

"Jackie, don't say that," Maka said back, slipping her bookmark into her novel before slamming it shut.

"Whatever, I can take the truth," Jackie pouted, staring at herself in her vanity mirror as she now stood in only her undergarments after taking off the too-tight dress. She stepped out of the ring of discarded dress fabric and turned around to examine her backside in the mirror. "Probably why Soul dumped me."

"I thought you said you were over him," Maka murmured, sitting up on her knees as she sat her novel down on the nightstand next to her that was crowded with mugs and half-filled water bottles.

"I am over him," Jackie sighed, involuntarily picking at her manicured nails, "I'm just not over why he just up and dumped me in the first place…" She paused and squeezed the backs of her thighs. " _God, I have cellulite…"_

Maka shook her head. " _Stop,_ " she pleaded, "I promise Soul didn't dump you because of how you looked, alright? And, you're not fat, you look fine."

"You wouldn't understand, Maka, you're already so thin and pretty," Jackie murmured, staring down at her feet as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Jackie…" Maka began when suddenly there was knock at the door.  
"Yeah, come in!" she shouted as she slipped off the bed, her fuzzy slipper socks hitting the wooden boards with a soft pat before the bedroom door cracked open.  
"Soul!" she said shocked, expecting it to have been Tsubaki or Kim.

"Maka," he said before his eyes traveled to Jackie standing half-naked in the center of the room, "Uh, hey Jackie?"

"Perv!" Jackie shouted, tossing a discarded dress at him before snatching her robe and slipping past him out through the doorway, and running down the hall with hot tears falling down her cheeks.

"What was that about?" Soul said after the sound of Jackie's footsteps dissipated.

"I don't know...it's tough to explain, I guess?" Maka shrugged. "What made you come all the way out here? You know how strict and crazy Medusa is about catching guys in the girl's dorm…"

"Yeah, Medusa and the rest of them is kind of what I came here to talk to you about," he said, shutting the bedroom door behind him.

"What?" Maka questioned as she plopped back down onto her bed, "Did Stein do some more oblvious fucked-up shit in front of Marie or something?"

Soul shook his head and sat on Jackie's unmade bed across from Maka's. "Arachne proposed to Death, apparently the news got out right after classes ended today. I think Death and Arachne were at the café with Stein and Medusa to share the news…"

"Are you for real?" Maka muttered, shaking her head. "Did Death really say yes to marrying her? After everything that just happened to Kid?! Doesn't he know Kid hates her?"

"I don't know, Kid keeps a lot from his father…" Soul shrugged.

"We have to tell Kid about what the Gorgon sisters are planning," Maka said, gritting her hands into tight fists.

"You're suggesting we tell Kid that his father's fiancee is planning to murder him and literally tear apart the last bit of family he has left?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know it sounds like a lot for Kid to take, but he's honestly our only hope in getting Death away from Arachne," Maka began, "We can't go to Marie or Stein, and if we outright tell Death what they're planning he'll think we're nuts."

Soul nodded slowly. "If you think that's best…"

"Death loves Kid more than anything, he's just a bit...I don't know, slow?" Maka said with a shrug, "If Kid opens up to his dad and tells him the honest truth about her maybe he'll listen."

"You know, we're literally about to involve ourselves in Headmaster Death's love life?" Soul chuckled.

"Yeah, the love who's planning to probably poison him," Maka said, remembering how Crona had told her about Arachne poisoning his past wife.

"Women are pretty nuts, huh?" Soul teased, shooting a discarded ponytail holder at Maka.

Maka ducked as the rubber band whizzed over her head.  
"Yeah, and men are pretty fucking stupid," she responded before gesturing over to Soul. "Exhibit A right in front of me."

Soul laughed.  
" _Brutal…"_

(Soul)

Something about the Gallow's Manor really gave him the creeps. It wasn't necessarily the mansion's enormous size or the eerie gothic architecture considering Soul grew up in a rich neighborhood on streets lined with lavishly decorated homes and yards. Maybe it was just the fact that it was Headmaster Death and Kid who lived there.

"We gotta find a way to sneak in…" Maka muttered under her breath as they stood at the corner of Kid's block, the Gallows Manor menacingly staring down at them as it poked out of the cypress tree framed sidewalk.

"Woah, you never mentioned anything about sneaking in!" Soul whispered fiercely, leaning against one of the many elaborate lampposts that were scattered across the more wealthy sections of Death City. "Don't you come here all the time to visit Kid? Why wouldn't they let you in?"

"I'm only allowed to come visit on the weekends when his dad his home to supervise us," Maka said. She shrugged as she chewed the inside of her cheek in thought, "I think his father still feels I'm corrupting him somehow, I don't know, he's been really protective of Kid lately."

"Well he has no problem letting Arachne just barge into their personal stuff..." Soul scoffed.  
He cracked his knuckles as they examined the manor from where they stood. "I bet we could boost ourselves over the fence and sneak in through the back door? Or maybe there's a balcony we could climb up onto…"

"I don't know, Soul, I think I'm having second thoughts," Maka said, crossing her arms. "What if they have some sort of camera system set-up or a security alarm? Or what if someone sees us from the window? Ergh...maybe it's best if I just wait to talk to Kid on Saturday…"

"C'mon, it'll be impossible to talk to Kid about everything if you're going to be under his father's supervision," Soul said, straightening up and beginning to walk down the block, "Grow some balls, Maka."

"I'm just thinking logically!" Maka shouted as she chased after Soul before they both stopped in front of the wrought iron entrance gate that lead into Kid's front yard. "Soul, c'mon this is the Headmaster's house we're about to break into!"

"Hey, you were the one whose initial idea was to sneak in," Soul chuckled as he examined the lock binding the two gate doors together.

"And you were the one who initially thought it was a bad idea!" Maka complained as she tugged on Soul's jacket sleeve. "Please can we just go before anyone sees us?"

"You know, you're always overestimating or underestimating everything," he teased, looking over at her as he pulled his arm away and shoved his fists into his pockets.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maka asked, "I'm just trying to do what won't get us expelled from school or even possibly arrested!"

"it won't be that bad!" Soul said, "Remember when I made you sneak into the adult section of Spencer's and you freaked? But it didn't end up being that horrible, right?"

"Soul, that was terrible!" Maka yelled, stomping her foot.

"Maka-" Soul began when the wrought iron gate suddenly screeched open, the loud grating noise causing Maka and him to jump back a few feet and snap back into reality.

" _Ahem,"_ Kid said, clearing his throat as he stared at the two of them with one hand gripping the handle to the interior of the game while the other was forcibly held still in the white cast that wrapped up his arm. "Maka...Soul...What are you two doing arguing outside my house at four o'clock on a Tuesday evening?"

"Uh...we sorta need to talk," Maka said, her face tinted a pale pink from embarrassment, "It's important…"

Kid glanced over at Soul, his face was expressionless but his stare felt like ice.  
He nodded and reached into the mailbox that was constructed into the brick of the exterior wall that surrounded the house like a fence.

"You don't have, like, servants that fetch the mail for you?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not complete incapable of fetching my mail," Kid grumbled, pulling a few envelopes and magazines out before slamming the mailbox shut. "C'mon," he muttered, gesturing for Soul and Maka to follow as he walked back into his enclosed front yard.

"Why's everyone so pissed off this week?" Soul whispered to Maka, causing her to let out a small giggle as she shrugged in response.

Maka stepped into the familiar foyer of Kid's house with Soul trailing close behind her. The marble floors were spotless and shimmered from the large windows that let in an enormous amount of afternoon sun. A large black piano sat nearby the winding staircases that caught Soul's eye.

"This is a sweet ass place you've got here," Soul whistled as they walked down a seemingly never-ending hallway after walking up the stairs, thinking how Kid's home made his own mansion seem like a backyard playhouse.

"It's all because of my father..." Kid said as they stepped into the family room where Kid locked the door behind them before plopping down into a plush armchair.

Maka sat down across from him as Soul lingered by a grand bay window that looked out onto the city. She crossed her knees under her and sighed. "You know, we actually came here to talk to you about your dad and his, um, fiancee…"

Kid chortled and shook his head causing his overgrown bangs to swag against his pale forehead. "Maka, please, if that's what you came here to talk to me about-"

"No, wait, please," Maka interrupted, "There's so much more behind it all you don't know about...It's serious."

" _I just don't understand how he finally crumble before her…"_ Kid muttered to himself, staring off into space as he scrunched up his forehead in thought. He shrugged it off and turned back to Maka. "I really don't want to talk about this, okay? My father's happy now...I can deal with Arachne considering it's not like she isn't here all the time as it was."

"Kid, how could you just-" Maka began desperately.

"No," Kid said forcefully as he glanced between Maka and Soul. "If you two just came all this way to bother me about my father's engagement then I'll call the butler to shoo you away just like he does to the rest of the paparazzi. I think it's best both of you-"

"Arachne killed your mother," Soul said suddenly, not taking his eyes off the view outside the window with his forehead pressed against the cool glass.

"What?" Kid said after a few moments of silent shock after hearing what he had said. Anger bubbled up inside of him. He narrowed his eyes at Soul and gritted the fabric of the chair with his free hand. "I can't believe you think you have the right to bring up accusations on my mother's death in our own house."

Soul shrugged and looked over at him. "And she wants to kill your father, too," he began as the rage became more and more apparent on Kid's face. "-so she can take the school and get all your father's money. Doesn't she just give you those gold digger vibes?"

"What proof do you have?" Kid growled.

"Crona...he's Arachne's nephew," Soul said eyeing Kid with a steady eye, "He knows everything about the two of them and what they plan to do. They're sick people, Kid."

"It's the truth, Kid," Maka butted in, her eyes saddened. "Soul told me everything."

"You don't know if he's bullshitting this entire thing, Maka it's insane," Kid said, standing up from his seat and putting his hand on his hip. "Don't act like he hasn't been a manipulative ass in the past."

Soul swallowed a variety of hateful words and shoved his fists into his pockets. "Kid, I didn't come here to try and fuck up your life, okay? I know I'm a dickhead and do and say a lot of stupid shit, but I honestly wouldn't take anything as far as this."  
He sighed. "I'm sorry, alright? Honestly, all the garbage that happens between us...it's gotta stop."

Kid looked him him up and down with an unconvinced look on his face.  
"What made you have some sort of epiphany to be peaceful?" he questioned. "We've sat next to each other alone during free period for the past few months and the most you've said to me was insults to try and degrade me."

"I made a promise to your father I'd be there for you," Soul said, "Or at least that I wouldn't make you feel more shitty than you already do. And, I guess it really isn't that cool to _degrade_ people on stupid shit."

Kid glanced at Maka who shot him a small smile.  
He rocked on his heels for a few moments before taking a deep breath, forcing his anger down.  
"Alright," he sighed, "How are we going to tell my dad that his fiancee and her sister are real snakes?"

 _To be continued…_

A/N: AH, I've got so much life garbage. Sorry for the delay, I've been spending most of my free time outside since the weather has been surprisingly nice. I meant for this chapter to include turnabout but I realized i'd be waaay to long if I did, so that segment will have to wait until next chapter. Anyways, thanks as always for reading and please R&R c:


	20. Chapter 20: Exposure and Sour Milk

A/N: So...how was everyone's month been?

* * *

Chapter 20:

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

The sound of the clock ticking above the chalkboard behind Professor Stein's desk was the only audible noise inside the classroom other than the sound of pencil lead etching answers into scantron forms from the hands of Maka's classmates who sat around her in the rather stuffy, warm space.  
Maka sat in the far back of the room which was unusual considering she normally took her spot in her 'unassigned, assigned' desk at the very front, but today she decided she didn't particularly want Professor Stein in her direct line of sight. Her test packet sat completed atop the smooth surface of the her desk, naturally finished earlier than the rest of her classmates considering all the hours of studying she had put in. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand as she sat back in her chair, peering down into her lap where her free hand was holding her cellphone, it's screen dimmed to not cause attention. She glanced up and over the heads of girls sitting hunched over their tests in front of her to Professor Stein who sat uninterestedly gazing out the window, silently tapping his desk with his right hand as the glare of the sun reflected off his glasses.

A message popped up on her phone.  
 _"Soul: You're sure Crona won't back out of this tonight? He seems kinda worried about doing it, I'm with him out behind the school right now."_

She tapped the glass face of her smartphone. _"Convinced him to skip class?"_ Maka texted back as she hid a small grin that appeared on her face with the sleeve of her school blazer, _"He's stronger than you think, and he seemed really into doing this. He wouldn't back out, especially not now…"_ Her eyes hovered over her message before she hit send. She sighed silently to herself before peering out the dirty glass of the classroom windows, a pit of anxiety swirling in her gut.  
It was Friday and in a few hours when classes ended the kids of Shibusen will head to their dorms or rented apartments to get ready for Turnabout tonight where they will meet up with their friends and lovers so they can listen to cheesy throwback music and dance together. However, tonight is also the night where Headmaster Death will formally introduce Arachne as his fiancee, but what Death doesn't know is that Crona will be there amongst the crowd ready to expose Arachne.

 _"I don't know,"_ Soul texted her, _"It takes a lot of guts to do what Crona's planning on doing, can't he just write Death an anonymous letter or something?"_

" _He's not just exposing Arachne but what his mother has been doing to him, too,"_ Maka wrote back, _"He wants to show everyone in person what's really been going on. He can do this, trust me."_

 _"I'm just afraid this'll all backfire on him, you know? He's been flipping through this journal he stole from his mother's office and won't stop muttering about it. I honestly think he's already lost it..."_ Soul texted her, his messages coming through slower and slower for some reason, probably because Soul and Crona were wandering deeper in the woods behind the school. _"Are you sure we shouldn't go with him tonight?"_

 _"Standing in a crowded, sweaty gym listening to old Katy Perry mixes is one of the last ways I want to spend my Friday evening,"_ Maka texted back, _"Besides, Crona will have Kid there to back him up, it'll all be good…"_

 _"Alright, I'll trust you guys on this if you really feel like it'll work out...,"_ Soul wrote back. A pair of ellipses appeared under his recent message to indicate he was still writing something back to her. _"Hey, but since everyone's gonna be at Turnabout tonight do you maybe want to g-"_

 ***Bam!***

Maka's eyes flashed up from her phone screen to Professor Stein standing in front of her desk, glaring down at her with his right hand slammed onto her desk. "Cheating, Ms. Albarn?" he asked her as he swiped her test packet off the desk.

"W-what?" Maka stuttered in shock as Stein grabbed her cellphone as well and made his way to the front of the room. Her cheeks burned red as her classmates stared back at her with surprised expressions.  
 _"Maybe that's why she always gets such good marks…."_ she heard one of them whisper.

"You know, you are the last person I would think to jeopardize their grades by doing such a foolish thing such as texting during class," Stein muttered at a tone that was just barely audible from her seat in the back.

"I wasn't cheating," Maka defended, gritting her fists as Professor Stein slid her phone into his lab coat pocket. "You know I wouldn't cheat."

Stein shook his head. "Rules are rules, Maka," he began. "It states in the school handbook that any form of communication during a test or exam is grounds for cheating which is not taken lightly here, especially when who will be determined as the class's valedictorian is at stake," he said clearly before tearing Maka's test in half and letting the remains fall into the recycling bin.

"You can't just trash my test!" Maka said as she shot up out of her seat, digging her fingernails into the soft skin of her palms and nearly drawing blood.

"Why?" Stein questioned, crossing his arms. "Because you're in the running for class valedictorian and this may ruin your chance completely?" He chuckled and shook his head. "You shouldn't expect special treatment all the time, at least not from me. I've helped you before, but that doesn't mean you can just continue messing up without consequences. I'm sorry."

"But Professor-" Maka began, her anger melting into desperation as rough calculations of how receiving no credit on this test will affect her grade point average.

 _"Enough!"_ Professor Stein said, raising his voice enough to cause everyone in the rooms to snap their heads forward with their attention aimed at Stein. "Maka Albarn, you will respect my decision and be grateful that I did not call Headmaster Death into this matter as I have mentioned at Shibusen cheating is a deep concern-"

"Like you'd know a thing or two about cheating," Maka murmured curtly under her breath, glowering at the man that had lost a great deal of her respect over the course of a few weeks.

"Excuse me?" Stein said rigidly, narrowing his eyes at her. "You want to repeat that, Ms. Albarn?" he challenged, pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose as he stared at her through the lenses, "because I feel the last thing you need right now is my personal life on your lips."

"How can men just be so nonchalant about these kinds of things!?" Maka said to Stein, shaking her head slowly and causing her blonde pigtails to sway gently against her jawline. "You cheated on Marie, and the only thing you care about is making sure you can hide your new girlfriend from her! How can you just carry on when you know how bad Marie must be hurting right now!?" she said harshly, an old feeling of hatred and disgust bubbling up inside of her.

"Mhm, is that so?" Stein murmured deeply, a small smile curling the corner of his mouth upward. "I assume Mr. Evans told you this, am I correct?" he asked, straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest.  
The sly small on his face dissipated into a tight frown followed by angry, drawn eyebrows, "And then I further assume it was the two of you that informed Marie on my personal matters?"

Maka scoffed. "We didn't need to say anything to Marie for her to find out," she said bitterly, "Maybe you shouldn't have made out with Medusa out in public for the whole world to see-"

"That will be all, Ms. Albarn!" Stein yelled as he slammed his fist onto his desk, causing it to rattle slightly and send a few stray pencils rolling off onto the floor. The classmates around Maka instantly ceased their whispers, bowing their heads in silence as the only audible sound was the wooden edges of the pencils hitting the tile. "I will not stand here and be told what do by my own student," Stein said. He sighed deeply as he lolled his head to the side to peer out the window. "Two hour detention today at six," he said without a hint of expression left on his face, "I hope you weren't planning on attending Turnabout tonight, Miss Albarn…"

Maka gritted her teeth.  
"No, I wasn't," she said before storming out of the classroom, slamming the door shut behind her and running off down the hall.

Soul

Soul sat leaning against the interior of the brick wall at the edge of the field facing the school, picking at frail violet wildflowers that were sprouting up from thawing earth as he watched the group of upperclassmen rough house and tease each other under the pavilion. For the first time since what seemed like forever ago, Soul ditched spending his free in Professor Stein's classroom.  
 _"Wonder why Maka never texted back…"_ he thought idly, pulling the petals off the small flower he held in his hand as the groups of upperclass room suddenly went a few decibels softer as they turned their heads in a similar direction.

"What are you doing back here?" Soul called out to the boy who was making his way down the field as the upperclassmen started with curious and surprised expressions, almost as if they've just seen a ghost.

"Just decided to stop by, I guess," Kid shrugged as he leaned against the brick wall Soul sat against, staring out idly at the groups of students situated on the other side of the field at metal picnic tables underneath the school's pavilion. "It feels like forever since I've been here…"

"Your father actually let you out of the house for the day alone?" Soul asked, as he watched the discarded petals of the flower he dismantled flutter away in the light breeze.

"Nah, I just felt like if I spent one more day watching reruns of Family Feud I'd literally lose it all over again," Kid teased with a hint of a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Besides, you've seen how observant my father's staff at home is."

Soul chuckled and shook his head. "You're looking a lot better, you know," he said, looking Kid up and down from the corner of his eye. The circles under his eyes faded to a pale purple and his bruises from his fall off the roof shrunk to no larger than a dime.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Kid murmured, glancing up at pavilion and then further up to the red cone formations at the very top of the school. The pale early spring sun lit up his golden eyes and it looked as if he'd let go of all the anger and rage that had built up inside him.

"Think you're coming back to school again soon?" Soul asked, standing up and looking over to him as he shoved his fists into the pockets of the light jacket he wore over his uniform polo.

Kid sighed as he picked at the fraying edges of his cast.  
"I honestly hope so."

(A few hours later…)

"What do you mean you have detention?" Soul called out moments after the final bell of the week rung out, sending a swarm of students rushing through the halls to get home and prepare for Turnabout later that night.

Maka paced up and down next to Soul's locker as he sloppily dumped the contents of his bookbag into his locker. "I mean Professor Stein gave me a detention!" she huffed angrily, crossing her arms over her chest, "And he took my cellphone and completely failed me for the exam we just took!"

Soul shook his head and chuckled as he swung his backpack over his shoulder. "Well I mean, you _did_ expose him as a cheater in front of his entire class just because he caught you texting during a quiz…"

"Since when are you the voice of reason?!" Maka complained as Soul sighed and slammed his locker shut. "And he deserved someone to put him in his place after what he did. No woman deserves to be put through anything like that, especially Ms. Marie!"

"Well, was it worth your spot of being ranked first in class rank for Sophomore year?" Soul asked as he clicked his lock shut.

Maka leaned against the adjacent locker and shrugged, looking down at her shoes. "I don't even care if Ox tops me. He's such a prick as it is, just let him get what he wants and maybe he'll just shut up about it."

"I doubt Ox will ever shut up about anything," Soul said with a tight smile as he squeezed Maka's shoulder. "C'mon, don't get all pouty over this, and since when do you give up, especially to Ox?"

Maka shrugged as the two of them walked down the hall, pushing their way through the crowd of chattering students towards the staircase that lead down to the front entranceway.  
She sighed deeply when they stepped outside into the school's courtyard, breathing in the spring air that held a certain chill and was heavily damp with moisture. "You know, maybe if graduating valedictorian isn't worth getting all the fun sucked out of high school."

Soul paused and whipped around to face her, his backpack swinging against his back and nearly hitting a few passersby. "You sure you're feeling yourself today, Maka?" he teased, raising an eyebrow, "Isn't getting out on top your life goal? Like your mom did or something?"

Maka chewed her lip in thought and stared out at the groups of students pouring out of the school's doors and filling the courtyard as they laughed and congregated in cliques around them.  
 _Hadn't that been what Maka had been striving for all along?_ Her mother's face flashed through her mind. Hadn't Maka's goal all along been to complete what her mother couldn't accomplish?  
 _Her mother…_  
 _Her mother who had spent her young life studying and striving for perfect grades._  
 _Her mother who had landed herself her dream job as a reward for all that hard work._  
 _Her mother who accidentally cracked one day and had a daughter she didn't need nor want._  
"I'm not my mom," Maka said, relaxing her fists as she turned back to Soul. "You know, growing up my mom always filled my head with ways to be successful and study tips and what colleges want to see in young women, but she never had any happy stories about friends or her birthdays or her first concert or just life in general. It's like if something didn't get her ahead, then she regretted doing or having it at all."

"Hm," Soul hummed as a smirk grew on his face. "Well, if you want endless stories and jokes about Beatles concerts and family birthday parties you can talk to my grandfather." His smile faded almost as suddenly as it appeared, "Well, he doesn't really talk about the past anymore…"

"Why?" Maka asked, the crowd of students begging to thin as their peers began heading back to the dorms.

"Don't worry about it," Soul muttered, waving her off with his hand. "But about the whole valedictorian thing, I think you should just do what makes you happy, you know? You can't live forever being pressured by your family to be a certain something, like you have to squeeze yourself in order to fit a certain mold or shape they created."

"Is that how you feel with your family?" Maka questioned, "With Wes and everything?"

Soul kicked at a stray pebble. "Yeah...yeah it is," he murmured, "You just can't truly be happy in your own life if all you're doing is trying to please the ideals and standards of someone that isn't you." He stared hard into her eyes, "You understand me, Maka? You're a smart girl, like really fucking smart, don't get me wrong, but you can be so much more than just a people pleaser. Don't just be valedictorian because you think it'll please your mother or whatever, do it for you."

Maka nodded and blushed. "Thanks, Soul," she giggled, "I guess I have a lot of soul searching to do about what I want in my life, huh?"

"If you feel like you do," Soul chuckled.  
"Oh hey," he began, "Did you ever get a chance to read my text 'bout this weekend before Stein snagged your phone?"

"No, he refuses to give it back until after detention tonight," Maka said, rolling her eyes with over-exaggeration, "What'd you wanna say?"

Soul cleared his throat and shrugged. "I guess really nothing important, just forgot I asked, okay?" he said with a small, tight smile.

"Whatever you say," Maka laughed as she adjusted her backpack strap. "Alright, I should head back before Jackie burns down the dorm by leaving her straightener on."

"Yeah, talk to you soon," Soul called out before they each turned around and headed their separate ways, pushing through the crowd of students as they traveled in opposite directions under the gentle warmth of the pale spring sun overhead.

Maka

"What happened in here?" Maka said, furrowing her eyebrows as she pushed the dorm room door opened and stepped inside to find herself encircled by discarded dresses and shoes covering the wooden floors.

Jackie sat leaning against the dresser in nothing but her undergarments with her hair pulled up in a messy bun. Streaks of dried mascara tears left streaks across her pale cheeks. "Did you not get my text during lunch?" she murmured, not bothering to look up at Maka as she remained staring off into space.

Maka shook her head as she closed the door shut with a soft 'click'. "No, I don't have my phone on me," She shrugged and crouched down in front of Jackie with a small smile. "It's a long story, but, uh, what happened? It looks like your entire closet threw up."

"I think I'm going to throw up," Jackie said, offering up a weak smile as she hugged her knees close to her chest. "Everything's too tight on me…" she whispered, nudging her chin to the piles of clothes discarded on the floor.

"Jackie…" Maka began, reaching out to squeeze Jackie's shoulder as she frowned.

"I'm not going to Turnabout," Jackie said, shrinking away from Maka and dodging her touch as she slid up and plopped down onto her unmade bed, face-first into the pillow.  
"I can't stand the way I look Maka," she sobbed, her words muffled by the cotton pillowcase pressed into her face, "My thighs, my arms, my butt," she cried, _"I'm so ugly."_

"That's not true, Jackie," Maka sighed as she slowly sat down on the bed and gingerly rubbed Jackie's upper back, "I honestly think you're one of the coolest looking girls here, I swear. You're hair and makeup is always perfect, your outfits always match, your nails are always freshly painted…."

"That's not what I mean," Jackie said, rolling over onto her back as stray strands of her hair stuck to her wet cheeks, "That stuff is all fake: the make-up, the straight hair, the polish...I just use it to cover up who I really am because I can't stand the look of myself bare in the mirror, I just can't take it anymore, Maka."

"I-" Maka began as the door was opened once again with a slight creak.

 _"What the fuck happened to our room?"_ Kim said as she stepped inside, nearly tripping on a stray red stiletto that was missing its partner.

Jackie sat up and combed the hair out of her face with her fingers as Kim scoped the room, taking in the mess with a soft sigh. "I-I couldn't figure out what to wear tonight…"

Kim looked down at Jackie sitting on the bed next to Maka and frowned. "Hey, are you crying?" she asked suddenly, plopping down onto the bed opposite to Maka and putting her arm around Jackie's shoulders. "Jackie," she demanded, "Tell me what's up."

Jackie slumped and buried her face into her hands as Kim shot Maka a worried expression, chewing the edge of her lip as her eyes showed concern.

Maka shook her head, hiding her surprise at how much Kim softened around Jackie instead of being blunt and abrasive like she usually is around everyone else. Maka whispered to Kim about what Jackie had told her earlier as the two of them rubbed Jackie's back as she cried.

"So it's this self-conscious shit again, huh?" Kim huffed when Maka finished, rolling her eyes with her usual callous expression.

Before Maka could say anything, Jackie shot up off the bed and pointed a finger at Kim. "You don't know crap, Kim!" she shouted at her, "I hate how you keep blowing off my feelings like they don't exist because they do exist and they're killing me!"

"What I don't understand is how you keep moping around here caring so much about some fucking number on the scale, Jacqueline!" Kim said back angrily, standing up and gritting her fists.

"Uh...guys?" Maka interrupted.

"I can't help that fucking number is controlling me, Kim!" Jackie countered, "If I could stop caring, trust me I would, but I just can't and having you not supporting me is just making it so much worse."

"Who said I wasn't supporting you?" Kim muttered, the anger on her face cracking as she gritted her fists.

"Look at you right now!" Jackie said, crossing her arms, "Whenever this gets brought up you talk and act like you don't even want to try and understand how I feel…"

Kim smirked. "It is hard for me to understand, I guess," she shrugged, "I don't get how you can see yourself as ugly or useless just because you ate an extra slice of cake last night or weigh ten pounds heavier than some other random girls in the school. Everything about you Jackie is so wonderful and I hate how you can't see that because you're blinded by your size."

"Kim…" Jackie whispered, looking to the ground.

"It's true, okay? I think you're beautiful, and I've thought that about you since we first became friends years ago" Kim said, "You change your style, your hair, your nails, but what's never changed is how you hold yourself and just the way you walk and talk and act in general. You light up a room, Jackie, with just the smile on your face, honestly."

A final tear ran down Jackie's cheek as her frown melted into a small smile. "Thanks," she whispered.  
Kim walked over and wiped the tear away with her thumb as she looked over to Maka, "C'mon, let's get this girl ready for Turnabout," she said with a smile.

"No, I can't," Jackie whimpered, "I'm a complete mess and I don't have anything to wear. And if Soul is there and he sees me all alone-"

"Fucking forget, Soul! It's his loss he left you," Kim laughed and hugged Jackie, "Now c'mon, you'd never let an ex or some dress ruin my night, would you?"

"No, I guess not," Jackie sniffled as she rested her cheek on Kim's shoulder.

"Good," Kim chuckled, "Besides, I'm sure Maka wouldn't mind going with you tonight. Right, Maka?"

Maka shuddered at the thought. "I actually have detention tonight with Professor Stein."

Kim nearly doubled-over in laughter. "Maka Albarn...in detention? That's a funny joke," she said, shaking her head, "Now c'mon, Maka, I think you'd better go find yourself a dress for tonight, too."

Soul

"Who's at the door?" Black-Star asked as he stood in the center of their dorm room, straightening his tie for the dance as a knock sounded at their door.

 _"I fucking knew this would happen,"_ Soul muttered to himself, ignoring Black-Star as he swung open his room door to Crona standing in the hall dressed in his formal clothes for the dance, clutching a small leather-bound journal.  
"Let me guess," he asked, leaning against the door frame with an unimpressed expression, "You're getting cold feet in exposing your mother and aunt tonight?"

Crona nodded and swallowed hard. "Yeah...t-that's kind of exactly what's going on…"

"Oh jeez," Soul said as he rubbed his forehead with his palm. "I told Maka this would happen…"

"No, wait," Crona began, "I really, really want to do this, Soul. I have to do this, not just for me but for the entire school. I think...I just need some backup…"

"Back-up?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't Kid going to be there with you?"

Crona shrugged. "Yeah, but he'll be up on stage with Arachne and his father, I don't think I can handle being all alone in the crowd with everyone watching me. What if they all think I'm nuts?"

"They've all met Professor Stein, they know what nuts truly looks like," Soul teased which only seemed to put Crona more at edge.

"You have to come with me," Crona begged, pulling on the sleeve of Soul's sweatshirt, "You don't even have to do anything except stand in the crowd with me-"

"Crona," Soul began, shaking his head, "Turnabout is in ten minutes and I'm in sweats and an unwashed t-shirt that smells kind of like soured milk."

"C'mon, just throw on your uniform polo and some slacks, no one will notice," Crona pleaded, "Please, Soul, you're my only friend other than Maka and Kid."

Soul sighed deeply. "Fine, but I'm leaving right after your little speech thing," he huffed, "Give me five minutes…"  
He shut the door behind him and looked over to Black-Star who was giving him a weird stare.

"Well who was it?" Black-Star asked, raising an eyebrow as he finally managed to correctly tie his tie, "What's going on?"

Soul ripped off his sweatshirt and foul dairy-scented t-shirt and shrugged as he grabbed a slightly cleaner dress shirt that was hanging on his desk chair. "Looks like I'm going Turnabout after all…"

Maka

After what felt like hours of begging from Jackie and Kim, Maka Albarn stepped into Shibusen's gym which was decorated in cheesy heart decorations and washed in a hot pink light coming from above.  
Jackie followed close behind her, wearing a turquoise flowy dress that seemed to completely contrast the dark-colored, tight dresses she normally wore. Her hair was not straightened and instead fell in her natural dark loose curls that framed her bare face bar a few coats of lip gloss and some mascara. Kim stomped in behind them, unhappy that Maka ended up dragging her along as revenge for forcing her to go.

"You should wear dresses more often, Kim," Jackie giggled, "You have nice legs."

"You're just lucky I shaved for once," Kim spat, crossing her arms over the fuchsia colored top of her dress, walking uncomfortably in a pair of black pumps.

Maka laughed at the two of them, but was engrossed in scanning the crowd for a certain someone. _"I hope Crona didn't really back out…"_ she thought to herself, waving a few hello's at some familiar faces that passed by her.  
One of the nameless staff members sat at a booth near the edge of the gym offered them cups of punch along with a life story about being once young that they only listened to out of pity.

"Me and Kim are gonna go write down some song requests by the DJ booth before Headmaster Death comes on stage," Jackie said to Maka, having to shout to be heard over the chattering and noise going off in the gym.  
Maka nodded as Kim and Jackie scattered off, a soft smile on her face at the sight of Jackie laughing and hopefully already having a good time. Now, if only she could find out where Crona was…

 _"Maka?"_ a familiar voice said behind her.  
She turned around, the edges of her pink floral dress ruffling in a circle as she did so. "Soul?" she said shocked, "I thought you said you were ditching the dance?"

"I thought you had detention?" Soul smirked, examining Maka's hair that was twisted into an updo paired with simple pearl earrings. She shrugged and Soul laughed in response, shaking his head. "Maka Albarn, not only actually getting detention with Professor Stein, but also skipping out on it, too. Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Maybe I'm just hanging out around you too much," Maka giggled, "Bad influence," she teased, playfully punching him in the shoulder.  
Before Soul could think of a witty reply, the music ceased and the lights around them dimmed, living only a bright halo of light in the center of the stage positioned at the head of the gym.  
"Have you seen Crona?" Maka asked him, looking through the crowd with a worried expression as Lord Death took center stage with his fiancee's arm linked to his right arm and with Kid trailing a few paces behind to his left. In his hand, Headmaster Death held a clear cup of the same pink punch juice Maka had in her hand, smelling strongly of sherbet ice cream and Orange Crush soda.

Soul shook his head as an eruption of applause broke out between the students. "He came over my dorm about 15 minutes ago all nervous and shaky about tonight so I told him to wait a minute for me to throw on a clean shirt, but after I changed he just disappeared."

Maka chewed her lip and hung her head as Lord Death tapped the microphone sitting on stage before giving a speech quite similar to the one at the Homecoming dance. Arachne remained latched onto his arm, gazing out into the crowd with an intimidating stare.  
Death's formal announcement of his engagement formally concluded the speech, causing another uproar of applause. He raised his glass of punch, calling for a toast as a wicked smile spread on Arachne's lips. However, before he could sip, the double doors at the back of the gym bursted opened as Crona stepped in, causing everyone to turn around and face him.  
He marched up through the crowd, still gripping the leather-bound notebook in his hand. _"Stop!"_ he shouted to Lord Death, _"Don't drink!"_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, I haven't updated in sooo long. I honestly feel like I'm losing interest in this story, but don't worry, I'm determined to finish it :) Just another huge thank you to everyone who's still reading even though my plot is shit and my dialogue is repetitive to the extreme, I can't believe how much has happened in my life since I began this story, Sophomore Year is definitely a wild time...


	21. Chapter 21: A Quick Pause

Dear readers, I know I've talked about wanting to finish this story, and I truly mean it. I know exactly what is going to happen in this story from this point on until the end, and it's honestly not much, maybe two or three more chapters worth at least, however, life for me right now is kind of...a lot to handle?  
Don't get me wrong, writing _**DOES**_ help a lot in these situations, but I feel like there's another story or two I need to start. Life is a story, and I think about that a lot. Unexpected events, dramatic irony, sadness, love, and heartbreak. These are things we read about in books and study in English class, but we never truly understand some of these things until we experience them ourselves. So, I have a challenge for all of you reading this. Go do something you've dreamed about doing, but felt like you never had the guts to do. Tell your crush how you feel about them, try out for that new sport, stand up for that kid that's being bullied, start writing your own story, and don't chicken out because you never know where one choice can lead you. Usually, it's where you least expect, trust me from recent personal experience. But don't let that scare you, indulge in new experiences and adventure because either way you'll come out of that experience as a wiser person.  
Back to this fanfic, thank you so much for everyone who supported my story, whether you've been here from the beginning or just started reading ten minutes ago. I fell in love with Soul Eater because of all the different characters it contained which held a million possibilities to imagine and write about. Honestly, the show isn't so far from real life...minus the death scythes and giant kishins trying to overrun the world with madness. But, looking at the characters struggling with themselves internally, family problems, stress with school, low self-esteem...the anime isn't entirely fictional if you look at it. We all have to find solutions to our problems, find the courage to face them rather than hide from them, and I hope you all are able to find it soon enough.

Sincerely,  
Carlotta AKA sarcasticeggplant


	22. Chapter 22: Queen and Cherry Chapstick

A/N: I could say so much, but I'm just going to chill. A lot has happened from the beginning of my Sophomore to now, it was one hell of a ride ;)  
P.S. Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, I really wanted to get this out so I just skimmed through it for any major mistakes.

* * *

Chapter 21:

The silence in the gym was so vast you could probably hear a pin drop, and that's saying a lot considering it was jam packed with sweaty, hormonal teenagers who have been proven to indulge ceaselessly in endless chatter about whatever caught their attention. Their attention, certainly caught, was focused on Crona's scrawny backside as he stood at the head of the stage with his eyes full of hate directed at Arachne.

Headmaster Death still clutched his cup full of fruit punch at his lips, the frothy pink-colored concoction filled to the brim. He lowered the glass with an airy chuckle as he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Crona, what seems to be problem?" he said, his booming voice filling the auditorium, breaking the dead silence and nearly sending a chill down Soul's back.

"What's up with his drink?" Maka whispered to Soul, "Did Crona ever mention anything about the drink?"

"No, he didn't, but…" Soul murmured, standing stiffly as thoughts flew through his mind, twisting and forming together an idea that made his blood nearly run cold. _  
_" _I don't think she killed herself, Soul,"_ Crona had told him a few weeks back, " _I think it was my aunt...I think Arachne poisoned Kid's mom because she was an obstacle in her plan…"_

"It's laced," Crona shouted, his voice full of such vigor and confidence that the contrast of him now to the nervous boy shaking in the hallway stunned Soul.  
Arachne scoffed and pulled away from Headmaster Death, crossing her arms and making the impression she had something to say, but Crona slammed down the journal he was recently clutching onto the stage. He quickly thumbed to a page and slid the book to Death's feet. "GHB," he muttered loudly, "A lethal amount."

"What are you insinuating here, Crona?" Arachne said, her voice dripping in annoyance as Kid stepped forward and picked up the journal, his facial expression remaining puzzled until the meaning of the slapdash scribbles on the page became clear to him.

"It's a journal," Kid murmured, his eyes hovering over chemical equations and charts followed by blocks of writing mapping out plans, tasks, and results as well as other pieces he couldn't quite make out.

"Where the hell did you get that from?" Medusa shouted, suddenly appearing in the crowd as she pushed her way through the thick horde of students with Stein trailing close behind her. "Have you been snooping down in my office, again!?" she whispered fiercely, reaching to grab Crona's shoulder and causing him to side-step away and avoid her grasp.

"What is this all about, Arachne?" Death said, his face riddled with confusion as Medusa and Crona glared at each other from the clearing at the head of the stage where they stood.

"Medusa, control your child!" Arachne ordered firmly, pulling a lace fan out of her pocket and flicking it open in irritation. "Crona, sweetheart," she said a bit too sweetly as she fanned herself in quick flicks of her wrists, "Why don't you just give your mother back her notebook so we can enjoy our time here?" She looked over to Death and squeezed his wrist. "He's always been a bit…off," she whispered, covering her mouth with her fan and wearing a face of fake sympathy.

"Don't act like nothing is going on!" Crona shouted, backing away from his mother and gritting his fists as he glowered at her. "It's all a fucking lie, Headmaster! The engagement, Medusa's counseling experience, your wife's death-"

"Watch your tongue, young man," Death warned, narrowing his eyes at the sound of the word 'wife'. Kid is still standing a few paces behind him, flipping through worn pages of Medusa's journal and scrutinizing over the pages covered in ink and the near illegible handwriting. He seems to be focusing on a certain page when his expression suddenly turns blank and he lowers the book and turns his gaze to Medusa who is fuming over Crona in front of the stage.

"Father…" Kid murmurs, thrusting the book at Death's chest. He takes it in his free hand and hands his drink to Kid. Arachne shoots her sister a look and Medusa straightens up, her eyes deathly serious and holding back a wave of rage.

Death scans the page, his face puzzled as he slowly pieced together the words on the page with a heavy feeling of grief tightening his chest more and more every time he found his wife's name written down. He suddenly slammed the journal shut, allowing his head to stay hung for a few moments as the dead silence in the gym nearly suffocated Soul and Maka.  
He slowly raised his head and met Medusa's eyes. "Miss Gorgan-" he began, his voice breaking the quiet along with the sound of Medusa's heels clicking on the floor as she beelined for the door. Stein grabbed her wrist and attempted to hold her back, but he was met with the tip of her pointed heel to his crotch.  
" _Oof!"_ Stein grunted before kneeling on the floor in pain.

Maka's eyes were still trained on Death, staring at Arachne as if she were a stranger instead of his fianceé as Medusa bursted out of the gym, the sound of the metal door slamming shut behind her acting like a final catalyst for conversation as the gym erupted into a roar of chatter and shouts after it closed.  
Kid hopped off the front half of the stage and wrapped an arm around Crona who bursted into tears. He caught Soul's eyes and nodded as the house lights were flipped back on, basking them all in the bright yellow lights of the gym.

Soul nudged Maka's shoulder with his own. "Let's get out of here," he said as Arachne made an escape attempt to the back door behind the stage to only be stopped by Maka's dad, carrying a mop in one hand as he darted from backstage.

"What about Crona?" Maka asked, as she held back a laugh from seeing her dad block off the stage exit with the handle of his mop.

Soul shrugged. "He did what he had to do. The cops will probably come out to question him, and he can finally get some help about what his mom has put him through," a small grin spread across his face, "Besides, Kid looks like he's got him."

"Where do you want to go all dressed-up?" Maka asked with a smile, raising an eyebrow.

"Preferably I'd like to take off these dress shoes and slacks because they're mad uncomfortable and then sleep until tomorrow afternoon," he began with a smirk, "But why don't we make the best of this night? It'd be a shame you got all dolled-up for for nothing."

Maka chuckled and playfully shoved him. "Lead the way, Romeo."

…..

The park was awfully chilly compared to earlier that day, the warmth of the afternoon sun replaced by a cold wind that shook the thin city trees and scattered a few of the white flowers that began to bud on the no-longer bare branches.  
Soul's jacket was draped around Maka's shoulders as the two of them wandered on a cracked sidewalk path that surrounded the park equipment that was scribbled in graffiti and couple initials written in sharpie ink, hastily drawn hearts surrounding some while big black x's crossed through others.

"How do you think tonight is going to change everything?' Maka murmured, her head tilted upward as she gazed into the empty night sky, devoid of any stars do the city light and pollution.

Soul shrugged and followed her stare, choosing to focus on the darkness above them. "I think everything's gonna change for the better, even if it's going to be rough for awhile," he said, shivering a bit in the icy breeze, "Everything would have ended up a lot worse if no one said anything, you know? I think choosing to not say the truth or honestly say how you feel can be a real killer for everyone, even yourself."

"Do you think somethings are better left unsaid?" Maka asked, looking back down at Soul whose hair appeared even more stark white in the fluorescent glow of a nearby rusted street lamp.

"No, I don't think so, maybe it depends on the context of the situation..." Soul muttered, furrowing his brows as he thought about it, "I feel like the more you hide something the bigger a problem it can become. I feel like it's better to just get whatever it is off your chest, maybe it'll work in your favor or maybe it'll hurt, but either way it'll be better than having some sort of guilt or worry eat at you."

Maka nodded, pulling Soul's jacket tighter around her shoulders. "I understand that, I think honesty is important," she said, staring down at her kitten heels as they clicked against the cement, "I feel like it's better to be hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie."

"Definitely," Soul nodded, a small smirk curling up the corner of his mouth, " _No legacy is as rich as honesty,"_ he joked.

"Nerd," Maka teased, playfully punching him in the shoulder with a giggle. She shook her head, "Don't tell me you actually read Shakespeare for fun because I know that'd be a direct act of dishonesty one-hundred percent."

"No, I don't," Soul laughed, rubbing his shoulder because even though she was playing around- Maka can punch pretty hard. "My grandfather is some play fanatic, he used to quote his works all the time whether it was appropriate or not. He was like, this Shakespeare dictionary."

"What do you mean he 'used to'," Maka murmured, trying to catch Soul's eyes as they continued walking near the edge of the park, passing by overflowing metal trashcans and faded green park benches.

"Things changed after my parents passed away. It was like the life was sucked out of everything," Soul shrugged, looking off to the left instead of meeting Maka's eyes, "My grandfather became so angry at the world, so pissed off that it took his perfect child from him."

"I'm so sorry," Maka whispered to him, her eyes full of sympathy.

"He acts all tough and in-control now, but he just acts that way because he's afraid he'll lose me or my brother, Wes," Soul muttered, "He's such a coward, always wanting to know where we were and when we'd be home and who our friends were...He worries too much about us staying alive that we can't actually _live_."

"That's why you used to sneak out all the time?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was my kind of 'fuck you, I'm gonna do what I want to do' phase," Soul said, giving a half-hearted chuckle, "I just wanted to get out, surround myself with people who didn't know who I was, people that weren't always giving me condolences about my parents, or asking if I wanted to pursue music like my brother, or expecting me to carry on a conversation about college or my grandfather's inheritance...I honestly don't give a fuck about my family's money, I'd rather make my own."

"What were they like?" Maka asked as they rounded the corner, leaving the park behind them as they entered a more updated section of Death City where the streets were lined with modern coffee shops and art studios. "Your parents?"

"I don't really remember too much, they traveled a lot for shows and performances so either way I was staying with my grandparents a lot," Soul said as a small smile suddenly broke out on his face. "My grandma used to always tell me stories about my mother, even after she passed if my grandfather wasn't around. She'd always tell me that she had this insane passion for music: singing, dancing, if it involved music she was a part of it. It was always like she had a million things to say, a million different emotions and feelings to express…" He shrugged, his smiling fading nearly as quickly as it appeared. "My grandma would always say she saw so much of her in me, but I don't see it at all…"  
He shook his head. "Sorry, I'm rambling...:"

"No, you're not," Maka chuckled. "Even if you were, I don't mind listening. You're a pretty quiet guy, but you've got pretty interesting things to say when you do talk, I don't mind hearing it," she said as they continued down the street through a thick crowd of people, bits and pieces of the street-goers conversations being heard before they disappeared behind the two of them. "You know," she began, "I've never actually heard you play. I mean, you have a guitar, right?"

Soul nodded. "Yeah, I play a few instruments, mainly the piano," he murmured with a quick nod, "I don't really do too much music-wise now, though. I guess I lost interest."  
He stopped abruptly in front of a small club, the windows emitting a deep violet glow as the faint scent of cigarette smoke drifted outside. He nudged his chin to the front door as he stepped to hold it open for Maka, "Here's the place Killik told me about earlier this week," he said, "I thought it'd be a cool place for us to check out."  
"Seems like a Kilik kinda place," Maka murmured.

Inside, the space held a few empty tables along with a large bar that ran along the left side of the room where a heavily built bartender stood, an unlit cigar hanging from his mouth. In the far back a large stage was centered between two plum-colored curtains with a worn grand piano sitting center stage. A lone guitarist laid atop the piano as he stared up at the stage lights, strumming some original tune on the guitar he held in his hands.

"Nice to see some fresh faces around here," the bartender said gruffly as Maka stepped inside, the sequins sewed onto her dress leaving reflected purple spots of light strewn against the interior walls made up of a dark colored brick. "You'd think with this location we'd have tourists crawling in and out of here, but I think this ol' appearance scares the fuckers off," he chuckled, gesturing towards his heavily tattooed arms and shaved head, "You look a lil' scared, huh, young lady?"

"I beg to differ," Maka scoffed as she and Soul slid into two seats at the bar despite an eyebrow raise from the bartender.  
"Nice music selection they've got over here," Soul teased as he did a half-turn in his seat to examine the stage, his gaze settled on the guitarist who continued to strum his guitar as he whistled along.

The guitarist laughed at this, hanging his head over the edge of the piano to get a better view of the two of them. "Not much fun to play when there's not much of an audience," he said, his voice dripping in a heavy British accent, "I live for the crowds, the cheering, the yelling...There's nothing better than that..."

"I think I beg to differ this time," Soul muttered to himself under his breath before turning his attention back to the bartender who passed two cups over to Maka and Soul, each glass brimming with something the bartender later explained as his 'special house mix', but virgin, of course.  
"So, what brought you two here?" the bartender asked after a decent amount of time when all the other customers had abandoned their lonely tables, leaving Maka and Soul as the only people left in the room bar the bartender and the guitarist who continued to strum through the night. "You kids from around here?"

Soul nodded after downing the last of his glass, his third one overall. "Just walked over from the DWMA," he said, sliding the empty glass to the bartender, "A friend told me this place was pretty chill so I decided to come check it out for myself."

"Damn, the DWMA? That's a tough school to get accepted into…Congrats," the bartender said with a rough smile, laugh lines causing crinkles to form in his darkened skin. "Ain't tonight your spring dance or somethin' like that?"

Soul shrugged. "Kinda felt overrated…I thought chilling here with a good friend would be a lot better way to spend my evening than standing in a crowded gym with a few hundred I don't particularly appreciate," he said, flashing Maka one of his famous side smiles.

"I get that," the bartender chuckled, pulling an old rag from the waistband of his ripped-up jeans as he began polishing the marble countertops with the stained piece of cloth. "Glad you decided to stop by, whoever referred you must have good taste…"

"Whoever likes this trash heap can't have any taste whatsoever," a voice said from backstage behind the curtains before Soul and Maka could respond.  
Maka and Soul turned their heads as a young woman sauntered from behind the curtains, the leather skirt she was donning hanging dangerously high as her golden brown eyes were framed in heavy black liner smudge. "At least it's been shit since Marco walked out on us, he was a crap piano player, anyway," she huffed in her thick Southern accent as she bent over the piano and leaned in on her elbows, exposing her unnaturally tanned cleavage through her low-cut tank top.

"You thought Marco was a great piano player 'till he started cheating on you with that one red-headed stripper from the east side," the guitarist chuckled, the corner of his lip raising into a crooked smile.

"Jack!" the girl shrieked, stomping one of her high-heeled boots against the frayed carpeted flooring of the stage. "Don't bring that up anymore! We sound just fine without some dumb pianist here, killing our vibes."

"Soul can play the piano," Maka said suddenly, swishing the ice in her drink with a straw.

"No, Maka-" Soul began, waving her off as the on-stage girl's bright cherry-red lips curled into a toothy grin.  
'Why don't you come up and play something than?" the girl said, standing up straight and twirling a strand of her honey blonde hair with her finger. "I'm Linsday, by the way," she said, batting her eyelashes which had to be a pair of those fake glue-on ones you find for a few bucks at Walgreens.

"Back off, Linsday," the bartender said, shaking his head with a faint smile on his mouth as he cleared away the last of the empty cups and shot glasses from the bar counter-top, "Jailbait."

"I just wanna hear him play, ya'll making me look like some desperate thirsty whore or something," Linsday scoffed, flipping her tousled blonde waves over her shoulder.

"You do enough of that yourself," Jack muttered under his breath, strumming a sour note on his guitar.

"I'd really rather not play," Soul muttered before Linsday could retaliate as she was flashing Jack a death stare, her arms crossed against her chest with her bottom lip pouting out. "I haven't really practiced in a few years so it's not like you're missing out on anything good."  
"Aw, c'mon, Soul!" Maka pleaded as she gripped Soul's free hand. "I really wanna hear it, please? One song for me?"  
Soul stared down at her hand latched onto his. "Fine," he sighed after a few moments, resisting the urge to run his thumb over her pale knuckles, "But just one song," he said, meeting her eyes, "For you."

"Let's go then!" Maka said, nearly jumping out of her seat, not letting go of Soul's hand as she dragged him across the room and onto the stage.  
" _Oi! Slow down, Maka!"_ Soul called out, nearly tripping on the steps that lead up the stage as Maka pulled at him.

Jack slid off the piano and propped open the top as Lindsay shuffled out of the way and leaned against the back wall, her head tilted in curiosity with her gaze settled on Soul as he slid into the seat. He ran his fingers over the piano keys, the white ivory starting to fade into a yellowish color from use.  
"Know what you're going to play?" Lindsay asked, a seductive giggle running in her voice as she rested her chin in her palm.

Soul shrugged as he gazed up from the piano keys, catching sight of the starless sky through a large circular window mounted over the front entrance.  
A pang of sadness suddenly hit him in the gut.

" _The guitar," Ren said to him with a smile on her face that caused dimples to form in her cheeks as they sat under the night sky in the park, making wishes on airplanes because they both were so desperate for a miracle and had no stars in sight to rely on. "I wish you'd play me a song."_

Soul nodded slowly and looked back at the keys as he rested his hands on them, hesitating for a moment before hitting the first note.  
And then just like that, everything and everyone began to fade away until it was just him and the music, each note he hit feeling beautifully constructed and full of emotion as the rest of the world blurred around him.

" _...Each morning I get up I die a little,  
Can barely stand on my feet…"_

In that moment, everything kind of sucked….but then at the same time it didn't. It's the kind of feeling you get when you've just finished a really good novel or book series. You feel sad because the story is over, all the emotions and ways the book made you laugh and cry and feel in general was over, and no matter how hard you wished or prayed for just one more chapter, it was done. You think it was the best book in the universe until you sulk back into the library and find something new.  
Then there you go again, falling in love with a new story, the new adventures, the new lessons, the new laughs, the new characters.  
And then in that moment he suddenly saw _her_ , while everything else expect the music melted away, he could still see her standing there as she sang along and swayed to the music in her flowy purple sequined dress and her short kitten heels.  
And just like the music, he felt in his soul that she was beautiful.

" _Can anybody find me..."_ they all sang together, their voices harmonizes together and humming through the room, " _Somebody to love…"_

…

"I didn't think the bartender had it in him to sing along, especially to Queen," Maka laughed as she and Soul sat near an old chain link fence surrounding an empty baseball field, eating miniature cups of Italian ice from a stand they found near the outskirts of town.

"What do you mean? Queen is some good ass classic rock," Soul said, tossing aside his empty cup and laying back on the grass with his eyes focusing upward at the deep purple sky. "Anyone who's anyone has it in him to sing along to some good ass classic rock, _especially Queen_."  
Maka laughed and laid back next to him, the dark spades of turf tickling her bare shoulders. "You and your goddamn music…" she sighed, lolling her head to the side and watching the shadows casted over Soul's face.

His eyes searched the sky, but all that reflected back was the pure, never-ending darkness. "Do you ever wonder about all the other people looking up at this night sky?" Soul wondered aloud, glancing over at Maka, "About the billions and billions of other people trying to get by under this same sky? Billions of different people with a billion different thoughts, issues, and stories?"

"You wonder a lot," Maka murmured with a soft smile, turning her head to look back upward at the sky, "I wish you opened your mouth up more, it's like you're always thinking of something interesting but are always too shy to say it."

"I think you're beautiful," Soul said bluntly, his eyes unmoving from the darkness.  
" _-And_ , cool guys don't get shy."

"Cool guys aren't afraid to look someone in the eye when they call them beautiful," Maka laughed.  
In one swift motion, Soul propped himself up on his elbow and titled Maka's head with his free hand before pressing his lips against hers. She tasted like lemon and mint and faintly like cherry Chapstick.  
He pulled away, leaving their faces only a few centimeters apart as the feeling of her still danced on his mouth.  
" _You are beautiful, Maka Albarn."_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

Op, there's the SoMa, haha. Sorry if this chapter was crappy, I didn't have access to my laptop so I wrote the first draft by hand with pencil and paper. How did people do that...writing things out by hand really causes cramps. Maybe I'm just lazy...

Anyways, thanks for reading! I have a bit of Chapter 22 already done, but I'm still thinking it over as usual. Adios, see you next chapter! :)


	23. Chapter 23: Hibiscus and Shattered Glass

A/N: Zoinks, that was a long time, huh? Sorry, if there's any grammar errors, I really wanted to get this up so I'll comb through it again sometime soon...

Chapter 23:

 **Maka**

"How was spring break?" Kim said, leaning against the peeling paint of the wall as girls filed into the dorm room lobby, suitcases swaying in their hands as they chatted about all the parties, boys, and booze.

"I'd barely call it a break," Maka murmured as she made her way down the hall, her rolling suitcase covered in a college of half-ripped off sticker close behind her, "The teachers piled on so many essays and research papers, I think I worked then I usually do on a regular basis."

"Now _that's_ saying a lot," Kim chuckled as she slid of the wall and followed next to Maka, "The big paper test is coming up soon, huh?"

Maka nodded. "Yup, next week," she sighed, "I think I was way over my head when I said I was going to try to top the class rank. I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kim said, as they both stopped outside the stairwell doors, "If there's one person who could top Ox it's you, and if I have to hear that asshole parade around school gloating about being number one, I might actually choke you."

"Thanks, Kim, I think?" Maka giggled, causing her blonde pigtails to sway against her shoulders. "I'll do my best."

"But hey, before spring break ends tomorrow," Kim began, side-eyeing a group of laughing freshmen who were beginning to get on her nerves, "There's gonna be a little get-together thing near Killik's apartment. You should stop by, Soul said he'd be around, too."

Maka chewed at the inside of her cheek. "I guess I could stop by for a little," she said, "But you better not put anything in my drink because I've got class in the morning."

Kim laughed. "I'll text you the address," she said before beginning to walk off,  
"See you later, nerd."

 **...**

The warm, late April air warmed the dorm room as the drapes danced in the soft breeze from the open window. It felt as if the sunshine was sucking out all the cold, dreary winter air. It was a good feeling.

"Oh, you're back already?" a voice said softly behind Maka as she stood by the windowsill, peeling off her light blue track jacket while her eyes watched the colorful crowds of students in the courtyard return from break.

"Tsubaki," Maka said, as a smile on her face disappeared as quickly as it appeared.  
"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, taking in the mascara cheeks running down Tsubaki's pale cheeks.  
Tsubaki shook her head as Maka skirted over, leaving her track jacket sitting in a clump on the carpet. "What happened?" she asked as she pulled Tsubaki into a tight hug.

"I don't know, I think I'm just over-thinking things again," Tsubaki said as she pulled back to wipe a stray tear that was running down the bridge of her nose. "Black-Star hasn't texted me at all in the last, I don't know, three days? It feels longer than that...And then all of a sudden he texted me this morning to meet up with him downtown, and I can't help but think he's going to end it with me, Maka."

"Why would he want to do that, Tsubaki? You know he loves you…" Maka said to her as she began sobbing. "Teenage boys are just...like that sometimes, I guess?"

"That's exactly my thought, though…" she sobbed, "He's young, we're both young, and we've been together for so long…Maybe he wants to start seeing new people or something like that…"

"Tsubaki…" Maka began, squeezing Tsubaki's hands as the door flew open.

"Hey, Kim told me you got back from the train station already so I was wondering if-" Jackie chirped as she stepped in before her wide smile dropped to a frown.  
"What happened?" she asked as she rushed over, concern reflected in her soft, light brown eyes.

Tsubaki sobbed her story out again before finally crying herself out and plopping on her bed, wiping her eyes and further smearing black mascara gunk on her face and hands.  
"I'm sorry guys, I'm just a bit of a mess today…"

"Don't be sorry," Jackie smiled as she sat next to her and patted her back. "Everything is going to turn out fine, just try to clear your head, okay? Focus on something else that makes you feel good."

"Thanks you guys," Tsubaki murmured, as a slight smiled cracked on her face, "I think I'm gonna try and get out for a bit before I head downtown. Get a nice cup of hibiscus tea, or something…just to take my mind off things."  
She slid off the bed and gave the girls a quick squeeze before heading into the bathroom, the muffled noise of running water sounding through the closed door.

"What do you think is going on?" Jackie asked Maka as she went over the pick up her track jacket.

Maka shrugged as she draped the jacket over her desk chair, "I don't know," she said softly, just to be sure that Tsubaki wouldn't hear the two of them. "Soul's been telling me how he's been acting off, I really have no clue what he's been up to…"

"Black-Star seems like a nice guy, he wouldn't hurt Tsubaki," Jackie said as she walked over the open window, glancing out before turning her attention back to Maka. "Right?"

Maka shrugged again, watching the dust particles float in ray of sun that poured into the room. "What were you saying when you walked in early?"

"Oh, yeah," Jackie giggled as she bent down at Maka suitcase and pushed it open, "I was saying we could get ready for the thing tonight together."

"You mean the party? That's not until another 4 hours," Maka said, raising an eyebrow, "It only takes fifteen minutes to throw on a dress and some heels."

"C'mon," Jackie giggled holding up a red, plaid mini skirt against Maka's hips, "We'll have some fun."

Maka rolled her eyes as Jackie flung the skirt on her bed and began shuffling through her closet. "Fine, but there's no way I'm not wearing that skirt in a party filled with horny boys!"

Jackie giggled as she found Maka's makeup case sitting at the bottom shelf of the closet, pulling out a tube of red lipstick and twisting up the product to swatch on her hand.  
"I guess we'll have to see about that."

 **Soul**

"Spring break went good for you back home, Soul?"

"Oh, Kid, what are you doing out here?" Soul murmured as he sat out in the forest clearing within the wooded area behind Shibusen.

Kid walked over and plopped down on the dirt next to him, his usual formal attire replaced with a pair of Levi's and a baggy white tee that he tucked into his jeans.  
"You know, I was originally the one that found this part of the woods," he said as he nudged an old cigarette butt with the tip of his sneaker. "When I was younger, I was cooped up inside the school a lot with private tutors or instructors, you know...I got so restless one day I ran straight out the back school and didn't stop. At the time, they hadn't put up the brick wall yet so I went straight into the woods and ended up here."  
He gestured up to the opening of sky amidst the treetops where a flock of geese flew by. "This was my place, it was just so….quiet and free."

Soul gazed out at the patches of white and violet wildflowers that covered the ground along with a few crushed beer cans and specks of broken glass.  
He glanced over at Kid who was still staring up at the sky, the sunlight glowing against his pale skin and reflecting off his yellow irises. He looked a lot better than he did the last time they had seen each other. The bags under his eyes still haven't completely faded but his arm cast was gone and he seemed content.  
Maybe even a bit happy, at that.

"How's everything going back home?" Soul dared to ask, looking over at Kid.

Kid shrugged and brought his gaze back down from above.  
"Better," he said, a slight smile on his face as his eyes met Soul's. He fiddled with a frayed string from his t-shirt sleeve as his smile slowly melted away.  
"Liz is gone," he muttured.

"What?" Soul said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"She's gone," Kid repeated louder this time, staring down at his lap.  
"She packed her bags and bought a ticket to New York not too long after everyone left for spring break."

"Did she say why she went?" Soul asked.

"Personal reasons," Kid hesitated, laying back onto the flower patches with his face facing upward towards the clearing.  
Soul followed and put his hands behind his head as he watched a cluster of puffy white clouds float overhead.  
"Do you ever think about how much has happened since this year began?" he whispered as if to not disturb the peace of the moment.

"Like how I stole your girlfriend?" Soul said with instant regret, but Kid bursted out laughing and Soul couldn't help but crack up, too.  
 _When he'd wake up hungover on a sofa next to Hiro with the only feeling of remembrance from the night before being a brief sense of exhilaration and a twinge of regret.  
When Black-Star punched him so hard in the face he had unconscious dreams of asshole demons and woke up in the nurse's office.  
When got cuffed and jailed in the police station for a crime he didn't commit.  
When he and Black-Star played pranks around the school while cleaning the boy's locker on the weekends for extra cash he didn't need.  
When he made Kid crying fo_r one of those pranks and got yelled at by Maka, making her so made her ears turned red.

 _Man, what a dick._

"I still have that 'gift' you left sitting on my doorstep a few months ago," Kid said, lolling his head to the side to face Soul.  
"The nude Christmas figurine?"

Soul looked over and they both bubbled up in laughter, the loudness causing a few birds to fly off from their nesting place.  
"Kid, I hope I'm not an asshole anymore," Soul said, tears forming in the inner corners of his eyes from laughing so hard.

"No, you're still an asshole," Kid said as Soul shot him a side-eye. "Kidding," he said, "I hope I'm not either…"

 **Maka**

"I look like a Bratz doll," Maka said as Jackie touched up Maka's lipstick, blotting the deep red, creamy product with a tissue.

"You look great," Jackie said as she stepped back while Maka examined herself in a standing mirror that Jackie insisted on carrying down from her room upstairs.  
After a long half hour of arguing about what to wear, Maka stood in her red plaid skirt with a black velvet camisole she borrowed from Jackie along with her cherry red Doc Martens.  
"I look like a 2005 My Chemical Romance revitilist," Maka said as Jackie came up behind her and took out her pigtails before running through her blonde locks with brush.

The curtains now whipped furiously in the wind from the open window as the patches of white, puffy clouds from the afternoon sky turned denser and dark gray with a thick, humid air trapped beneath them.  
"Let's get moving before the storm hits," Jackie said as she slipped on a pair of her heeled booties while Maka grabbed a dark-wash jean jacket from her closet that she 'borrowed' from Soul.

 **Soul**

The rain pattered hard against the dirty windows, leaving clean streaks across the glass panes. The noise of the weather, however, was completely drown out with the sounds of bumping music, blasting off of a huge stereo set up in the main entrance room. Strobing fluorescent lights washed over a dense crowd of teenagers that filled the rather large apartment, which wouldn't have been too shabby of a living place if it was better maintained and not crowded with well over a few hundred sweaty bodies.

"You look like you're going to puke, and I haven't seen you down even one shot yet," Soul laughed as he leaned against a wall on the far side, his leather jacket thrown over his shoulder.

Kim shook her head as she bit at her nails, eyeing the front door with a concerned look. "Just a bit nervous."

"About what? School starting tomorrow?" Soul asked as the front door cracked open before Maka and Jackie both walked in, holding his soaked jean jacket over their heads.

"A little something else," Kim muttered as the two girls spotted them through the crowd and walked over.

"We would've made it before the storm if you didn't take an extra half hour to wing your eyeliner," Maka grumbled as she tied the wet jean jacket around her waist.  
"You can't rush art," Jackie said, putting her hands on her hips as Soul rolled his eyes.

"Hey, there's somewhere I wanna show you real quick," Kim said to Jackie, grabbing her wrist before turning back to Maka and Soul.  
"You guys have some time to yourselves, just don't go near the punch. I think I saw Hiro pour something into it..."  
She flashed a smile before disappearing into the crowd with Jackie, leaving Maka and Soul standing alone together.

"You know, I'd offer to grab you a drink if Hiro decided to not pour in a little extra fun," Soul laughed as Maka leaned against the wall next to him, playing with the knot of jean fabric at her waist.

"I wouldn't have taken it either way," Maka shrugged with a soft sigh, "I don't think I could ever have another drink again."

"Again?" Soul chuckled, sliding an arm around Maka's waist and pulling her closer, "Is there some kind of story behind that claim?"

Maka took a deep breath and rested her cheek against his shoulder, "It was the summer break before freshman year, and I think I made some pretty shit choices…"

 **…**

"Why didn't you find this asshole and give him a good kick in the nuts?" Soul laughed as he and Maka trained down a small staircase near the side of the apartment building, making their way down the carpeted steps.

"I don't know, I was too embarrassed, I guess," Maka shrugged as she and Soul stepped into the back entranceway before walking out the back door into an outside courtyard that served as a green house with walls and a ceiling made of glass. Dead plant roots and brown leaves from the long winter filled the stark flower beds. A musty smell filled the air and dust tickled at Maka's nose.

"This is dope," Soul muttered as he watched the raindrops pelt against the glass ceiling with soft thuds, the blasting music from upstairs only sounding like a hum from ground level.

"Yeah, could you imagine what it'd be like if someone actually kept this place up?" Maka murmured as Soul slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in, their lips locking under the sound of raindrops and bursts of fluorescent lights.

"Nhn, wait," she mumbled, "I hear something…"

"It's probably the rain or something," Soul muttered as she pulled her lips away and walked deeper into the courtyard amongst the leafless branches of many shrubs and fruit trees.  
He followed close behind her as they walked across the cement floor, their footsteps muffled by the rain. Maka walked as she ran her fingers across a trellis that stuck up from a planter adjacent to the aisle they walked through that held dead grape vines.

"Holy shit…" Soul whispered as he and Maka stopped at the center of the greenhouse where an empty stone fountain sat along with a few rusted iron benches in a circular patch of empty space. On the bench farthest to the right sat Kim with Jackie on her lap and their lips pressed together in a lock.

"Let them be," Maka giggled softly to him with a small smile as she wrapped her hand around his wrist and lead him off in a separate direction.

"Wait...so, are they like...together?" Soul said to Maka after they wandered back to the door leading into the apartment complex.

"Would it bother you if they were?" she asked him, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned against the metal door, raising an eyebrow at him.

"N-no, it's not like that, honestly," he said, shaking his head, "It's just, everyone always gave Kim shit over the rumor she was gay, and she was always so defensive about it…"

Maka shrugged. "I think that made her so nervous about it, you know? Everyone teasing her about the gay rumor made her too afraid to see if she really was for herself..."

"I get that," Soul said, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "Did you know? That her and Jackie were together?"

"No, I had no idea…," Maka said, "Neither of them mentioned anything like that to me, but I could see it, you know? The way Kim would look at Jackie and the way Jackie would talk about Kim...They really care about each other."  
She smiled, the lights from the party above making her green eyes appear to be glowing, "Let's not say anything about what we saw tonight, okay? I want them to tell us when they're ready."

"Deal," Soul grinned, wrapping his hand around hers.  
"Wanna head back up to the party?" he asked, nudging his chin upward as a gesture to upstairs.

"Hm," Maka hummed, nibbling on her lip. "Not really," she giggled.

Soul side smirked and gave her palm a quick squeeze.  
"Me neither."

 **Maka**

" _Candy…  
She's sweet like candy in my veins…  
Baby, I'm dying for another taste…" _

"Mm…" Maka murmured as she turned over, twisted in the sheets with Soul's baggy T-shirt covering her chest.

"You finally up?" Soul said from across the room as he messed with his old stereo, standing in just a pair of his old fleece pajama pants with a smile growing on his face.

Maka sat up in the bed and pulled the sheets tight across her shoulders, running a hand through her messy blonde locks as her eyes fluttered open.  
The curtains in Soul's dorm room were drawn tight, but pale streaks of dawn found their way through the worn fabric and left the room in a pale wash of light. Black-Star's loft sat unoccupied on the other side of the room, his computer monitor sitting dark and dusty underneath atop his desk.

"If Stein found the two of us in here, I'm pretty sure we'd be the main specimens in his next dissection lesson," Maka muttered, her voice still groggy from sleep.

"Nah, he saw the two of us wander in here," Soul said with a grin as he walked over to the bed, "Even winked at me when we past his office."

"What!?" Maka said, her eyes snapping open wide as Soul laughed and plopped down next to her on the mattress with a soft creak of the springs.

"Kidding," Soul laughed, going in for a kiss, but instead getting Maka's palm hitting against his nose and pushing his head backwards.  
"You're an ass," Maka said, smiling.  
"So I've recently been told," he said, going in for a kiss again against Maka's cheek.

"What time is it?" Maka murmured as he buried his nose in the crook her neck.

"Almost five," Soul said. "Wanna stop by your dorm and grab your uniform? Black-Star said he and Tsubaki are gonna get coffee before class if you wanna meet up with them."

"Sure," Maka said, pulling off the sheet from around her as the two of the stood up off the bed. "Was Black-Star even here last night?"

"Nah, he and Tsubaki spent the night at Sid's house," Soul muttered as he pulled a hoodie over his bare chest and tossed Maka an extra pair of clean pajama to throw on.

"Sid's house as in Coach Sid's house?" Maka asked confused as she caught the pajama pants, holding the bundle of soft flannel in her arms.

"Yeah, Sid's been his foster father since forever," Soul said, switching his stereo off, "Tsubaki's never told you that?"

"No, never knew that…" Maka said with a shrug as she picked up her plaid skirt and the velvet top she borrowed from Jackie off the floor before slipping back on her cherry red combat boots. "You think everything is okay between them? Considering they're getting coffee together this morning?"

Soul shrugged as he shoved on a pair of his worn down canvas sneakers,  
"Hopefully so."

 **...**

 _ ***BAM!***_

The second Maka and Soul turned the corner of the girl's dorm to Maka's hall, they were both met flat in the face with a large cardboard box, nearly knocking them backwards onto the floor.

"Ah! Sorry guys," Crona said as he lowered the overflowing box, his pale face flushed red, "I didn't think anyone would be wandering around the halls this early in the morning…"

"What are _you_ doing up here?" Maka asked, rubbing the spot on her chin that collided with the side of the box as a dark figure appeared behind Crona.

" _Ms. Marie?_ " Soul said, his eyes widening.  
"What are doing here?"

"Well, as the returning monitor of the girl's dorm, I should be giving you both a detention for not only sneaking a boy in the girl's dorm, but for being out after curfew," she said sternly, before her face cracked into one of her gentle smile.  
"But, I guess I can let this incident slide for once…"

Maka flung her arms around her.  
"Headmaster Death let you have your job back?"

"Yup!" she chirped, before motioning towards the large cardboard box in Crona's hands. "Just moving my stuff back in before the girls get up in a bit, I was planning on having it be a surprise...But looks like you guys beat me to it."

Maka pulled back with a smile.  
"I'm glad you're back, Ms. Marie," she beamed.

Marie grinned and placed her hands on Crona's shoulders with a soft squeeze.  
"Me too, kids."

 **Soul**

The city was actually a pretty cool place to be at seven in the morning.  
The smell of dark roast coffee wafted through the streets along with the occasional hints of fried egg and bacon from nearby diners that were scattered throughout the main road. The annoying crowds that usually hung around in the evening were downgraded to groups of elderly couples and men and woman walking quickly in business suits, talking away on their cellphones.

"Why didn't you say anything to us?" Soul said to Black-Star as they sat on the edge of a large fountain in the city square, the water inside it calm as it's geysers hadn't been turned on yet.

Black-Star shrugged, the light beige scarf wrapped around his neck billowing in the wind. "I wanted it to be a surprise," he said with a soft smile, handing his cellphone over to Soul where a picture of Black-Star in a jiu jitsu gi holding a first place trophy was displayed.  
"I didn't think anyone would believe I could do it," he said as Soul looked over the picture, "I mean, I was such a wimp…"

"So you put all that training in to not be a wimp anymore?" Soul laughed before Maka kicked him in the shin, shooting him a death glare.

"I actually kinda guess so," Black-Star said, slipping his phone back into his pocket, "To prove to myself that I wasn't just some softie...Make Sid proud, too, you know?"

"You were never just some softie," Maka said, clutching her foam coffee cup in her palms, "You nearly gave Soul a concussion a few months ago standing up for your friend."

"Hey, we aren't supposed to talk about that!" Soul said, as the others burst into giggles.  
"I was in weak spot there…"

"We're all proud of you, Black-Star," Tsubaki said with a soft smile, "And we would've been whether or not you did this, you're a star no matter what."

"You guys are the best…" Black-Star said, his cheeks flushing a soft red.

"We know we are," Soul teased as he scooted off the fountain's edge, crushing his empty coffee cup in his fist before tossing it into a nearby metal trash bin.  
"We better start heading back to campus if we wanna make first period," he said.

"Since when do you care about being on time?" Black-Star laughed, shaking his head as he stood and locked his hand with Tsubaki.  
"You know, I just wish you would've told me where you were always running off too…" she said as her and Black-Star walked ahead, chatting away with each other.

Maka outstretched her palm towards Soul with a grin. " _We better start heading back,"_ she teased with a smirk.

"I think we're starting to rub off on each other too much," Soul laughed, taking Maka's hand as they followed behind Black-Star and Tsubaki while the city streets began to hold more crowds of people as the morning rush began.

Maka giggled at this with a shrug.  
"Maybe that's a good thing."

 _To be continued..._

A/N: Um, yup, there she is! I'm positive this is the last full chapter guys, the next chapter should be a shorter ending just to tie everything together... how long has this story been going on for again?  
Millions of thank you's to everyone that has read, you guys really make a girl happy :)


	24. Chapter 24: Maka and Soul Eater

**Maka and Soul**

"Now, summer break before my junior year of high school," Joe thought aloud to himself, resting his hand in his palm as he leaned onto the counter top, "I believe that was the same time I did a indepth study on coffee creamers. That was a fun time, let me tell you two…"

"He's nuts…" Soul muttured, sitting on a stool next to Maka inside Joe's coffeeshop while a thunderstorm raged outside the large ceiling-length windows, whipping wet leaves and derbis against the glass.  
"I thought April showers were supposed to bring May flowers," he said, glancing outside as a wave of thunder struck, "But if that's the case this town is going to be covered once June hits next weekend…"

Maka laughed at this, glancing up at the old-fashioned clock that hung above the coffee bar behind the counter that read ten to five according to it's polished silver hands.  
By this time, it's safe to assume that everyone has already left Shibusen for the school year considering classes ended two days ago and the dorms were open for their last night yesterday.  
Kid, Crona, and Black-Star were most likely going to be around Death City for the summer, considering their parents work and live around there.  
Tsubaki left for Japan early in the morning and Jackie and Kim's trains departed that afternoon. _Wonder where Liz is right about now…_

"It's almost time," Soul said, sounding like the breath was being sucked out of him as he now was also looking up at the clock. "Chicago isn't really that far from Boston though, is it?"

"I guess not entirely," Maka said, giving his forearm a squeeze. "We'll keep in touch, though, for sure," she said, looking back down at Soul and flashing a quick smile.  
"Maybe I can steal a few hundred from my parent's back account for gas and ride up their on my motorcycle," he joked, a side-smirk on his face.

"Oh, yeah, Maka, I forgot to say I saw your picture in the Sunday paper the other morning," Joe interrupted, pulling a dishtowel out from the waistband of his slacks and beginning to polish a stray coffee muh that already seemed fairly clean. "Perfect score on Shibusen's big paper test, and top of the Sophomore year class…" he said, flashing her a thumbs-up with a big grin, "Thank goodness you didn't let that Ox brat get to ya, little punk told me my coffee wasn't up to his usual standards. I'd oughta shove a whole bag of dark roast right up his-"

"The train's here," Maka said, cutting of the end of Joe's sentence as the red flashing lights from the stop shone through the raindrops.

"A few minutes early, too," Soul said as he spun on his stool to get a glimpse of the train outside the window. "At least it looks like the storm is letting up a bit, you better run now in case it picks up again."

"Yeah," Maka whispered even though neither of them moved from their seats, watching people flood off the train into the city with bags probably packed for a summer in the city in their hands.  
She slowly slipped of the stool and picked up her rolling suitcase before swinging her backpack on.

Soul stood gave her a tight squeeze. "I'll miss you," he said through a mouthful of her hair that she now began to wear down in a shoulder-length bob. "I'll miss you so much."

"Call me the second you get to Boston, okay?" Maka said, planting a firm kiss on his cheek before pulling slightly back.

"Of course," Soul said, wishing this moment of him and Maka standing together with their arms around each other's waist would last all summer.  
He slipped away and reached down to his rolling suitcase and pulled a CD case out of the front pocket. "You have your laptop and headphones right?" he said, standing back up and interwining his free hand with hers. "Here, for the summer, so you can remember how I feel about you."

Maka clutched the CD to her chest before turning around and pulling something out of her own suitcase, still gripping onto Soul's hand.  
"So you don't forget me," she said, handing him a small Polorioid picture. "It's nothing special, but I just feel like I should give something to you.

Soul smiled, looking down at the picture of Maka looking upwards towards a sky of half storm clouds and half pure sunshine as well as Kilik's number hapahazardly scribbled on it's back.  
 _"I love you, Maka."_

She kissed his cheek before slipping her hand out of his and grabbing the handle of her rolling suitcase.  
 _"I love you too, Soul."_

 **...**

 _Hope Your Summer Doesn't Suck Too Much Without Me_

 _Track 1: Electric Love, BØRN  
Track 2: Location, Khalid  
Track 3: Sweater Weather, The Neighbourhood  
Track 4: Photograph, Ed Sheeran  
Track 5: You're Beautiful, James Blunt  
Track 6: This Town, Nial Horn  
PS* Don't think judge, we all like Nial Horn, okay?  
\- Soul_

Maka laughed to herself, reading the back of the CD case and the music hummed through her headphones, blocking out the other sounds of passengers and the conductor yelling at a group of teenagers to stay seated at all times.  
She lolled her head to the side, pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the window as she watched the green blur of evergreen trees fly past her once again. Her head felt clear.  
Then, in only an instant, the dark clouds that hovered above Death City and the adjacent area diminished, leaving the storm behind as the area outside the train was bathed in a blinding sunshine.  
She smiled to herself, watching the golden rays pour in from the train windows before letting her eyes flutter shut, letting herself connect with the music before dozing off to sleep.  
 _"_ _I'll miss you,"_ she whispered to herself.  
 _"_ _I'll miss you, Soul Eater."_

 _The End._

* * *

 _A/N: Well fam, here we are. Haha, I just wrote this after posting the last chapter, just felt like I had it in me, you know? I feel like I should write a huge sappy message, but I'm absolutely drained :p I realized I didn't get to EVERYTHING I wanted to in this story so...,  
Part 2? ;)_

 _\- sarcasticeggplant_


	25. Part 2 Update

Update:

Hey guys, just wanted to let you all know I decided to keep writing part two under a new separate story you can find under my stories on my profile :-)  
So uh go check her out I guess

xoxo

sarcastic eggplant


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